Welcome To Lima
by up1nDclouds
Summary: The Fabray siblings, Quinn and Sam, are sent to Lima, Ohio to live with their grandmother, who can hopefully keep them away from trouble. They get use to small town living, and Quinn meets Rachel who makes her want to be better. Will she be able to stay on track or will her past continue to drag her down? G!P Quinn. AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**Notes and warnings:**_

_This is a G!P fic, so if you don't like, please don't read it. It will also be multi-chapter and will have more of a story line with some smut thrown in here and there. Please review and let me know where you want this story to go. I appreciate any feedback. This is also not beta'd. If you want to be my beta, please contact me and I will love you forever. I would also love suggestions on where you want this story to go, because I'm just going with the flow here._

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I don't own Glee, and I'm not making anything out of this. It's all just for fun._

* * *

**[ Chapter 1 ]**

Loud music is blasting through a large home in a private cul-de-sac neighborhood. Cars are parked in every available space in the large driveway and surrounding streets.

Young people of all ages can be seen hanging outside the house, on the front yard, at the rooftop terrace, on the second floor balcony, and a lot more inside the mansion.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are flowing freely and snacks of all kinds are distributed all over the house in different areas.

Kids are dancing in every available space. Others are making out in dark corners, staircases, and couches. Some are watching a football game on the big screen TV and loudly cheering for their teams. A few are quietly chatting in smaller groups, and a handful are playing all sorts of party and drinking games in different areas of the spacious home.

A tall blonde boy tosses a ping pong ball perfectly into a cup of beer, winning the beer pong game for his team. His teammates pat him on his back as they all chug another cup of beer, and then prepare to start a new game of beer pong.

In one of the occupied bedrooms, 17-year-old Quinn Fabray is heatedly making out with an attractive red-haired girl in a skimpy black dress. Their hands are frantically exploring each other's body.

Quinn runs her hands on the other girls back, unzipping her dress. She moves her hands down the red-hair's thighs, lightly grips on the hem of the dress, then pulls it over the other girl, undressing her and revealing matching red panties and bra.

Quinn gets harder at the sight before her, and they connect their lips again and continue to make out at a furious pace. The blonde moves her lips down to the red-hair's neck and sucks on her pulse point causing a loud moan on the other girl.

"Oh god, Quinn."

Quinn smirks at the reaction she's causing on the other girl and continues to suck on the girl's neck, marking her, as she unhooks the girl's bra. She moves her hands to cup the girl's breasts and kneads them lightly producing a louder moan from the other girl.

The red-hair's hands start unbuttoning Quinn's jeans, pulling the zipper down. She swiftly pulls the blonde's pants down along with her boxers, freeing her erect member from its confinement.

Quinn was born with a penis. Her parents initially thought they had a baby boy, but as she grew older, the doctors confirmed that she was all female except for her male genitals. It's a very rare condition that only occurs in less one percent of the world's population, and aside from that, Quinn is a very healthy female.

Her parents embraced her condition and they love and support her unconditionally. Because of her family's support, she learned to accept her condition as well and is very much comfortable with her own body.

Quinn is not ashamed of it at all. In fact, she's proud of her not so little friend, especially after realizing that she's bigger than her male peers. It also helps that she gets a lot of action from the females in her school.

Some are curious about her condition. Others are fascinated, while some just plain have a crush on Quinn. She is a very attractive young woman. She's popular, smart, and rumor has it that she's really good in bed. So Quinn finds herself in a lot of parties including this one, which is apparently deemed the best party of the year.

She arrived a little late at the party with her younger brother, Sam, and after a few drinks and dancing with a few random girls, the red-haired girl – Tracy? Stacy? Quinn cannot remember – pulled her into an empty room, closed the door behind them, and jumped on Quinn.

Quinn sighs as her erect member is freed. A hard-on in tight jeans is never comfortable.

Stracy – Quinn decides to call the girl that name – kneels in front of Quinn and without a warning, wraps her mouth around Quinn's penis, grabbing the rest of the hard member that is not covered with her mouth between her hands. She slowly bobs her head up and down the large member.

Quinn moans at the sensation and buries her hands in the girl's red hair. She starts thrusting into the girl's mouth slowly at first making the girl choke a bit each time she forces her dick as far down the kneeling girl's throat.

It isn't the best blowjob the blonde's ever gotten but it was enough to get her going and ready for more. She starts thrusting into Stracy's hot mouth faster, holding the girl's head in place.

Quinn feels Stracy unwrap her hands from her dick, and then tightly grabs on to her thigh, leaving nail marks on her skin. This spurs her on and she continues to fucks the girl's face.

She feels the familiar pull in the pit of her stomach, but she isn't done with the girl yet. She pulls out of the girl's mouth and tugs the girl up to her feet. She crashes their lips together as she moves Stracy back towards the bed.

Quinn is so horny at this point and she just wants get herself and the red hair girl off. She always gets rough when she's in this mood. She ends the kiss, turns the girl around to face the bed and shoves the girl down.

Stracy lands on her hands and knees with a small yelp of surprise, but before she can say anything, Quinn rips her panties off, and tosses it behind her. Quinn can see how wet the girl is for her. She quickly grabs a condom from her discarded jeans, rips it off, and hurriedly rolls it on her hard member. She pumps herself a couple of times, and then positions herself on the waiting girl's entrance.

Quinn enters the girl in one harsh thrust and pushes in and out of the girl without giving her time to adjust. She groans at the warm feeling surrounding her dick. She's had tighter pussies but Stracy still feels so good around her. The girl's wetness makes it easier for Quinn to slip in and out.

"Oh god, Quinn. So good. Harder.." Stracy cries as she firmly grips on the bed sheets, her knuckles turning white from clenching too tightly.

Quinn knows she's hitting all the right spots inside the girl and her pride swells at knowing that she's probably reaching places that other guys barely reach or find. She grabs on to the girl's waist for more leverage as she fucks the girl harder.

"Fuck yea. You like it harder?" Quinn groans as she goes even faster, pounding into the girl like a jack hammer. The red-hair's cry of pleasure is turning her on, making her even harder. She feels Stracy tightening around her dick and she moans at the feeling of being squeezed.

Stracy screams Quinn's name as she shakes from the strong wave of orgasm that overcomes her. She collapses in exhaustion, but Quinn has yet to come, and she continues to thrust into the semi-conscious red-hair.

Quinn squeezes Stracy's butt cheeks together and the added tightness gets her closer. She faintly hears a loud knock on the bedroom door, but she ignores it and focuses on her condom covered penis that's going in and out of Stracy, glistening with the girl's juices.

The red-hair unexpectedly comes a second time, once again tightening around Quinn's dick, and she releases her seed into the condom grunting at the sensation as she slowly moves in and out of the now unconscious girl to ride out her orgasm.

The bedroom door swings open before she can even pull out of the passed out girl on bed.

A wide-eyed Sam, Quinn's 16-year-old brother, stands at the door, unfazed by the scene before him. "Sis, we have to go now."

Quinn frowns as she pulls out of the girl, rolls the condom off, and tosses it into the trash bin beside the bed. "Sam, I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"I can see that, but the police are on their way."

"Shit." Quinn curses and rushes to grab her jeans and boxers and puts it on in record time. It helps that she never took off her shirt, which saves her time with getting dressed.

She is out of the door following after Sam in no time without a second thought at the unconscious red hair in bed, but making sure to close the door behind her so that the sleeping girl can hopefully rest without interruption.

The two blondes sprint down the hall and stairs, pushing people aside on their way to the front door.

Most of the partygoers are so out of it and do not even realize that they are going to get busted soon. The sounds of sirens can be faintly heard over the loud music, but are easily missed if you're not paying attention. Most people are not.

It also helps that Sam installed this useful app in his smartphone that pings him whenever a party he is in is about to get raided. Something about hacking into the police system and whatnot, Quinn isn't sure. She just trusts her brother and his geeky stuff, and they haven't failed her yet. They always manage to get away just in time ever since he got that app.

They hastily jump into their jeep with Quinn getting in the driver seat. She pulls away from the house, making the tires screech and burning rubber as she accelerates too hard.

"Quinn, are you ok to dive?" Sam asks warily after noticing his sister's flushed face. He isn't sure if it is because of the alcohol or the sex.

"Yea, I'm good. I only had a few drinks." Quinn assures her brother without taking her eyes off the road.

Sam opens his mouth to add something but closes it when swarms of police cars zip by them, going the opposite way. It is obvious that the police cars are heading to the party house.

Quinn slows down to the speed limit and she tightens her grip on the steering wheel keeping her eyes on the road. They both hold their breath hoping to get as far away without being noticed. They exhale, relaxing a little bit, when the police cars disappear into the night.

The rest of the car ride is quiet as the brother and sister duo get lost in their own thoughts. As Quinn makes the last turn towards their house, the familiar red and blue light flashes behind them.

"Fuck." Quinn curses at the sudden appearance of the police behind them. Their house is a few more blocks away. "Just my fucking luck," she mumbles as she slows the car down and pulls over to the side.

Sam groans beside her, palming his face, and then quickly rubs his eyes to wake himself up a little bit more. Quinn runs her hands through her hair to tame it down a little, hoping to look presentable and sober.

The police officer walks up to the driver side, flashing his bright flashlight on Quinn and Sam, making them squint from the glaring light, until their eyes are able to adjust to the brightness.

"Driver's license and registration please."

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Quinn asks as innocently and calmly as she can, and moves to grab the car registration from the glove compartment and her license from her wallet.

The officer doesn't answer her. Instead, he focuses the flashlight on Quinn's face and stares at her for what seems like hours, but in reality, is only a few seconds. It is enough for him to suspect that the blonde girl has been drinking. He can also smell alcohol from her breath, which only confirms his suspicions.

Quinn hands him her license and registration. He studies her license first and sees that she's under the age of twenty-one.

"Have you been drinking, Miss Fabray?"

"Uuumm, yea, but only a little bit of sip just to try." Quinn answers nervously, adding in a little white lie.

He looks at her like he doesn't believe her answer. "Can you please step out of the vehicle?"

Quinn is now sweating and Sam is no help at all as he remains in his seat, paralyzed in fear. Before she can reply, the police officer turns to Sam and tells him, "You too, sir."

Sam gulps at the request and nods in acknowledgement. He knows he definitely drank more than Quinn.

Both sibling get out of the car and stand in front of the officer. He asks them to do several tasks to test their sobriety, including a breathalyzer. Quinn is tempted to make a run for it, but she is lucid enough to know that running will guarantee a stint in juvie, so she stays put and does whatever the police officer instructed.

The next thing they know, Quinn and Sam are sitting in the back of the police car with their hands handcuffed behind their backs. They fail the sobriety tests.

"Daddy's going to kill us." Sam sighs as leans back in his seat looking defeated.

"No shit." Quinn groans in agreement.

* * *

Quinn is sitting in a jail cell while Sam is in a separate one right beside hers. They're waiting for someone to come get them. They have been waiting for a couple hours now, and Quinn is exhausted. It's already 2am, and she just wants to crawl into bed and let sleep take over.

As soon as they were allowed a phone call, Quinn called her mother to tell her what happened.

Sam is lying down on the bench with his arm over his. He is snoring loudly to his sister's annoyance.

"I don't know how he can sleep in a place like this." Quinn mumbles to herself with a frown.

Footsteps are heard as the door to the room swings open, revealing their parents, walking behind the police officer who arrested them. Their parents do not look happy and Quinn's nerves come back.

The two teens are released after posting bail and they're now quietly sitting in a dark tinted SUV with their parents sitting in the front. Their parents haven't said a word to them since they arrived at the station.

Sam and Quinn glance at each other every once in a while silently communicating how to explain this to their parents so as not to incur a life-long grounding. Several thoughts are running through the teenagers' minds. One of which is dread on what their punishment will be for once again getting in trouble and arrested.

They arrive home and quietly follow their parents inside the home and into the living room. They both sit in the love seat, while their father takes the chair facing them, and their mother disappears into the kitchen, returning shortly with a cup of tea for herself and her husband. She gives him his cup and she settles into the chair beside him.

Russell is sporting his usual stern look as he sets his cup down the coffee table in front of him.

Someone gulps loudly and Quinn isn't sure whether it was her or Sam. She starts bouncing her leg up and down, a habit when she's nervous.

They sit there for several minutes. No one is saying a word. Russell is looking at each them and Judy is quietly sipping her cup of tea.

The silence is deafening and making the teens even more tense and nervous.

Quinn can't take the silent treatment any longer and decides to break the silence.

"Daddy, we're sorry..." She starts to speak but Russell raises his hand to stop her from continuing.

"Quinn, a DUI? You can't keep doing this." Russell interrupts firmly.

Quinn is unable to add a retort to that and closes her mouth, looking down on the ground in shame. She hates disappointing her parents, but she cannot seem to stay out of trouble. It isn't that she's actively looking for problems.

"And Sam, you know better than to allow your sister to drive while intoxicated. You two are supposed to look out for each other." Russell turns to Sam who also looks down in shame.

"You're lucky they let you go with a warning since it's your first DUI offense." Russell continues raising his voice a little, but Judy places a hand to his arm and he calms down a little.

"Quinn, this is your eighth arrest within two years, and Sam, your fourth. We need to seriously address this before it gets out of hand." Russell adds in a more calm and even tone this time.

"Your father and I will discuss this and determine your punishment, but for the meantime, let's go to bed since it's already late. A goodnight's rest will allow us to think and see clearly, so we will talk tomorrow, ok?" Judy finishes as she sees the exhausted looks of her daughter and son.

"Yes mommy." The two teens replies, and gets up from their seat. Sam goes upstairs and disappears into this bedroom, while Quinn makes a detour into the kitchen to grab a cup of water, which she chugs down all at once. She is parched from all the drama and alcohol from the evening.

She sets the glass down on the sink and turns to go upstairs, but is surprised to see her father leaning against the kitchen entryway. He looks calmer now.

"I'm really sorry for tonight, daddy. I never plan for any of these things to happen." Quinn sincerely apologizes again.

"I know, Quinn. You're not a bad kid, and your mother and I will always love you no matter what. Don't you forget that, ok?" Russell tells her lovingly. All traces of anger and disappointment are gone when he sees how sincere and sorry his daughter is.

Russell knows that his daughter can be stubborn and difficult, because she is just like him, but he also knows that deep down she has a good heart and good intentions. He firmly believes that she just needs a nudge in the right direction to get her life back on track, just like he did when he was about Quinn's age.

Her behavior is nothing new to him because he acted just like she is now, and he can't really blame her for that. He also cannot stay angry with his children for too long.

Quinn nods and mutters an ok, just loud enough for him to hear it.

"Come on, kiddo. Let's go upstairs before your mother starts yelling at us to get to bed."

Russell puts an arm around his daughter's shoulder and leads her out of the kitchen and up the stairs, as Quinn chuckles at her father's words. She knows he speaks the truth and her mother will do exactly that if they're not upstairs in the next few minutes.

Russell smiles at hearing his only daughter's chuckle. He's relieved that his children are remorseful about their wrongdoings but he doesn't want them to sulk forever. He just wants them to learn from them and not make the same mistakes again.

"So how was the party?" He asks with a smirk to further lighten the mood.

"Uumm… It was alright." Quinn replies without offering any details. She isn't sure how much her father knows about the parties she attends with Sam, but almost always, she ends up having sex with some girl. She doesn't think that information is something to share with your parents.

"That's good. Please assure your dear old dad that you're at least being safe." He is definitely not ignorant of what teens do at parties. He was a teenager once, and if Quinn is anything like him, then he has a very good idea of what she does at these parties.

Quinn turns beet red at her father's words.

"I'm just saying, kiddo. I don't think I'm ready to have any more grandchildren." Russell continues to tease his daughter.

Quinn groans, "Oh my god. I can't be having this conversation with you," and buries her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Russell laughs at his daughter's reaction. He is semi-joking. He already has one grand-daughter from his oldest son, Quinn's big brother, and he doesn't think he is prepared for any of his youngest children to have children as of yet.

When they make it upstairs, Russell pulls Quinn into a hug and kisses the top of her head. "I love you, Quinn."

Quinn hugs her father back, "I love you too, daddy." No matter how old she is, she will always be a daddy's girl just as Sam will always be a mommy's boy.

"Well, goodnight, kiddo. You're going to need your goodnight's rest in preparation for our talk tomorrow." Russell gives his daughter a light squeeze then lets her go.

Quinn shudders at the thought of finding out what their punishments are, as Russell stalks away, giggling at the fear his words impart on her, and he enters the master bedroom closing the door behind him, leaving stock-still Quinn in the same position at the top of the staircase.

* * *

The next day, the Fabrays are at Sam's football game supporting him and their high school team. Quinn is sitting on the bleachers with her parents on each side. Sam's their quarterback and he's doing a really good job. Their team is leading by fourteen points.

The game is almost over with less than a minute left. Sam throws the football and their wide receiver catches it effortlessly and makes a run for it, dodging oncoming opponents, and completing a touchdown. The entire crowd roars and jumps up on their feet including the Fabrays as their home team wins the game.

The rest of the team runs to the field and celebrates their win by lifting Sam and their wide receiver up on their shoulders. Quinn and her parents watch on with pride, as the crowd disperses from the bleachers and starts leaving.

"Where are you heading to, Quinnie?" Judy asks her daughter as they slowly step down from the bleachers following the crowd.

"I don't know. I'm just going to wait for Sam and maybe grab dinner with some friends. Is that ok?" Quinn, clutching her skateboard under her tattooed left arm, shrugs unsure of what their plans are for the night.

"That's fine, kiddo. Just make sure you and Sam are home by eight. We need to have that talk tonight." Russell replies. They reach the bottom of the bleachers and Quinn gives her parents a quick hug before she heads to the locker room to wait for Sam and her parents heads home.

Quinn sends Sam a quick text letting him know that she's waiting outside of the locker room for him. She jumps on her skateboard on the now empty hallway and works on her tricks to kill time. She is so focused on getting her jumps right that she doesn't notice footsteps coming down the hall.

She is startled by a hard shove against her back and she falls off the board, landing on the floor with a grunt. Her backside may be bruised from the fall. She turns to see her attacker and finds three boys she recognizes from the wrestling team hovering over her.

"What the fuck do you want, Joe?" Quinn addresses the middle one who's the leader of the group, as she gets up on her feet, brushing the dust off her pants and hands. She's annoyed with the interruption.

Joe doesn't answer her and instead pushes her on her shoulder and she stumbles back and winces as her back connects with the wall behind her.

"Fuck, what's your problem, man?" Quinn's senses are more heightened now at the probable threat. She's been in a lot of fights to know what to expect.

"You are the problem, freak. You fucked my girlfriend." Joe yells at her pointing his big fat index finger at her in a threatening manner.

Quinn doesn't flinch at the action, but instead smirks at his accusations. She always thinks of herself as a thrill seeker and this situation is only getting her pumped up. She's not sure which girl she fucked is his girlfriend, but she doesn't care.

"Well, I guess you're not doing a good job at satisfying her if she has to come to me to get some."

Joe roars at Quinn's words like a wild animal and throws a reckless punch aiming for her face, which she quickly dodges. She's smaller and quicker than his larger and heavier wrestler frame.

However she doesn't expect his two friends to attack her right away, so she does her best to dodge their fists. She manages to connect a few punches and kicks as well. The bigger they are the harder they fall but she's still outnumbered.

Joe finally gets her right on the face when she is distracted by the other two wrestlers, and she falls hard. She feels the sharp pain of her split lip and tastes blood in her mouth. She knows she's going to have a black eye as well. Pushing the pain down, she scrambles to get back on her feet before they can land another hit.

Before she knows it, Sam and his football buddies are sprinting towards the fight and pulling the three wrestlers away from her and beating them up really good. The wrestlers are tough though and they put up a really good fight and standing their ground even though they're bleeding, bruised, and outnumbered by the football players.

Quinn gets on her feet and swings her leg to kick Joe right between his legs and he screams like girl, falling to his knees in agony. She punches him right in his face for good measure and he slumps down on the ground groaning.

She is about to give him another kick in the gut when a sharp sound of blowing whistle and loud commands to stop interrupts her. Suddenly, a strong pair of arms grabs her from behind and pins her flush to wall on her front with her hands and arms flat on the wall.

She turns to see what just happened and finds security, coaches, and few teachers pulling fighting teens away from each other. She twists her head to see who's pinning her to the wall and sees a very angry principal standing behind her.

Quinn grimaces and drops her head on the wall with a thud. This is not going to end well for her and her parents are never going to forgive her for this.

* * *

Quinn is expelled from school, since this is not her first offense. She has exhausted all her chances and the principal is left with no other choice but to expel her.

Sam and his football buddies who were involved in the fight are suspended for three days, but thankfully, they remain in the football team.

Quinn and Sam once again find themselves sitting on the same couch side by side with their parents sitting in their usual chairs glaring at them. It's like deja vu from the scene the night before. No one is saying anything and their parents are silently sipping on their tea and staring holes on the two morose teenagers.

Quinn's left eye is swollen shut and her lip is no longer bleeding but is definitely split. Sam's nose is broken and is covered in a bandage.

Russell finally breaks the silence, setting his cup down the coffee table. "You're both moving in with your grandmother as soon as the semester is done."

"What?" Sam gasps at the unexpected news.

"Grandma? In Podunk boonieville Ohio?" Quinn whines. This is definitely a surprise. She is expecting her parents to send her to a military school, even a private catholic school run by strict nuns with rulers that they use to beat the delinquent out of you, but definitely not middle-of-nowhere Ohio.

"Yes, Quinnie. Ohio." Judy confirms.

"That's in two weeks. But why?" Quinn fusses. At this point, military school sounds so much better than Ohio.

"Me too?" Sam asks almost begging not to go to Ohio with Quinn. His life is here in New York. He has friends and football and girls and parties. There's nothing in Ohio. What do they even do there for fun? Do they have arcades or comic shops that sell decent comic books?

"Yes, Sam you too. Why? Because maybe a small town is exactly what you two need to stay out of trouble, and your grandmother will definitely know how to keep you two in order." Russell explains firmly, leaving no room for any arguments.

"She definitely did a great job with your father." Judy adds as an afterthought. She admits that when she first met Russell, he was no better, if not worse, than Quinn, but Mildred managed to knock some sense into Russell and he straightened up to become the man he is right now.

Maybe that's exactly what Quinn and Sam need right now, especially Quinn. Both she and Russell are out of ideas and options. They need to do something drastic before it's too late for their children.

The last time they spoke with Mildred, Russell was telling his mother about Quinn and Sam's latest arrest, and Mildred volunteered to take the teens in without hesitation. They were initially unsure about the offer, but after the past two days' events, they decided to take Mildred's offer.

"Quinnie. Sammy. We're doing this for your own good." Judy says softly addressing her son and daughter.

"Your mother and I are worried about you two."

"We can't afford to lose either of you, especially after losing RJ…" Judy chokes halfway through her sentence. She stops to regain her composure as the tears start flowing down her cheeks at the memory of her oldest son.

Russell Junior or RJ for short was the Fabray's oldest son. He was six years older than Quinn, and he was her hero. He was murdered a couple of years ago. He was mugged on his way home from work. The mugger stabbed him before escaping. RJ never recovered from his injuries and died on the way to the hospital. They caught the mugger a few days after and he's now in prison serving a life sentence.

RJ married young and his wife had just given birth to a daughter a few months before he died. The entire family was so broken up about it, and that was also when Quinn started acting out. The arrests and run-ins with the law started not too long after RJ's death. She became difficult, losing her temper quicker with more violent tendencies, always getting into fights, and becoming more reckless.

The teens' mood becomes more somber at the mention of RJ. They really cannot argue with their parents about that. Looking at each other, Sam and Quinn make a silent agreement to comply with their parents.

"Ok. We understand." Quinn resigns, accepting her parents' wishes for both Sam and herself, unsure of what to expect in Lima, Ohio.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

_So what do y'all think? As I mentioned, please review. I would love to hear what you have to say, and please send me ideas and suggestions on where to take this story. Thank you for reading._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Notes:_**

_Wow. Thank you for all the positive feedback for this story. I really appreciate it. Please keep them coming. Definitely send me recommendations and suggestions on where you want this story to go. I'm still just going with the flow and seeing where this takes me. Story is still not beta'd, so typos and mistakes will occur. If you want to be my beta, send me a message. I need you. __I've never been to Lima and I'm totally a city girl, so all I'm doing here is making assumptions based on what I saw from the show and from Google. I also want to take some time to thank everyone who reviewed and followed this story, and added it to their favorites. You're all awesome._

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**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't own Glee, and I'm not making anything out of this. It's all just for fun._

* * *

**[ Chapter 2 ]**

Quinn is staring out of the car window from the front seat for the past hour. She faintly hears her grandma talk about the many things Sam and her can do in Lima. Sam is giving off single word replies. She isn't really paying attention at all.

They pass by another large farm with cows and other livestock, and yet another cornfield. As they get closer to Lima, the scenery becomes more to Quinn's liking, seeing a couple of taller and larger buildings, but the rest of the city – town is a more appropriate term – is surrounded by small and quaint shops.

It is still better than farms and cornfields, so Quinn relaxes a little bit especially after they pass by a skate park. She makes a mental note to check it out soon.

"This is the town center, sweetie. That's where the mall is," Grandma Millie, Grammy for short, points to one of the larger buildings, "And it's only about a ten minute drive from the house. I'm sure you kids would like that." She tells them after she notices Quinn perk up a little bit.

"Cool." Sam throws in another one word answer as he tries his best to stay awake.

They turn into a quiet neighborhood street with well-manicured lawns. Kids are playing on the yard. Men are washing their cars on the driveway, and women are gardening. Everything looks so wholesome, like a scene right out of a 1950's family show.

Quinn starts worrying how she's going to fit into this seemingly conservative small town. She and Sam are definitely going to stick out like a sore thumb, especially with her dick and tattooed left forearm.

She can definitely hide her appendage, but definitely not her arm – perhaps with a lot of long sleeve shirts and jackets. She can almost hear her mother's long-winded lecture on the bad choice she made for getting inked somewhere that's not easily covered or hidden.

Sam didn't fare too well either because he got one on his upper arm, which can be covered with a short sleeve shirt, but the worst thing is that it's a really lame one. They were really drunk when they decided to get tattoos a few months ago, and Sam for some reason chose a Mighty Mouse cartoon for his upper arm. She never stops teasing Sam about it.

They pull over into the driveway of a mid-sized colonial house with a beautifully landscaped front yard with colorful blossoms. They get out of the car and follow their Grammy inside the house.

It is so cozy and homey inside. The furniture and decorations have a traditional and old fashion look to it but it is inviting. The walls are covered in frames of family and friend photos.

Quinn stares at one in particular that has every one of them in it including RJ, RJ's wife, Sara, and their baby girl, Ashley. Grammy is sat in the middle with a huge proud smile on her face, surrounded by several generations of Fabrays.

The memory brings a smile to Quinn's face and warmth in her heart at the thought of her wonderful family. She feels so lucky to have a supportive and loving family she can count on.

"You can bring your things upstairs. The rest of your belongings arrived in the mail the other day. The nice delivery man carried all the boxes upstairs and placed them in your rooms. I hope you don't mind me selecting your rooms for you." Grammy tells them then disappears into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Grammy." The two teens call out to her.

Quinn and Sam make their way upstairs and down the hall. Quinn finds her room judging from the marked boxes sitting on the floor beside the door.

There's a desk on one corner with a couple of bookshelves beside it. A drawer is positioned on the other side and there's plenty of empty space for more of her things. Her bed is already done and she falls back into it with a huff. She's so tired from the long plane and car ride and she falls asleep without realizing it.

Quinn jolts awake from a squealing sound at the bottom of the stairs, and then loud footsteps stomping up the steps echoes through her open bedroom door. She sits up, rubbing the sleep off her eyes, and stretching her arms out with a loud yawn.

A tall blonde ball of energy emerges into her room and a loud scream pierces her ears. Then a body collides into her and she's being squeezed in a tight hug.

"Q, I missed you so much. I'm so happy you're finally here."

Quinn gasps from the suffocating hug and pats the blonde girl's back, signaling her to let go, but to no avail. The tall blonde is oblivious to Quinn's predicament.

A Latina teen enters the room a second later. She is wearing a cheerleading uniform and has a scowl on her face. The Latina crosses her arms in front of her and in a gentle voice that doesn't match her scowling face, says, "Britt, I think you're killing the girl."

Brittany finally notices Quinn struggling for breath and immediately lets her go. "I'm so sorry, Q. I got too excited. I hope I didn't hurt you." She apologizes, looking a little embarrassed for getting carried away again, but thankfully, Santana is there to help as always.

Quinn pants for breath after being released and she forces a reassuring smile for her cousin. "No worries, Britts. I'm ok."

Brittany lets out a breath of relief after her cousin's reassurance that she's ok. "Grammy and San always remind me to be gentle especially when I'm too excited and happy, but I forget sometimes."

Brittany is Quinn and Sam's cousin on their father's side. Brittany's mother is Russell's sister, but they travel a lot doing god knows what, leaving Brittany alone or most of the time, with relatives and friends.

Three years ago, Grammy volunteered, more like insisted, that Brittany stay and live with her on a more permanent basis to give the girl an anchor to keep her grounded. Brittany's parents agreed without hesitation.

It's not that they don't love their daughter. They do and that's why they always made sure she stayed with someone they trust to take care of their daughter. They're just too much of a free spirit to stay put in one place. They can't help it.

Brittany doesn't mind it either. She loves living with her Grammy, and she's really enjoying it in Lima too. Her parents do visit her a few times a year. She knows her parents love her, and she's definitely happy with how things are right now.

A loud clearing of throat brings the two blonde's attention to the Latina standing near the bedroom door.

"Oh, Quinn this is Santana. She's my girlfriend." Brittany introduces her cousin to the Latina, pulling Quinn up to her feet and closer to the Latina so they can properly get acquainted.

"Sup?" Quinn gives her a curt nod. She's seriously studying the Latina who is trying to look intimidating.

"Hey." Santana nods back maintaining eye contact with the shorter blonde.

Quinn's no fool and she's holding her own as they have an alpha staring match.

Brittany's standing between the two shorter girls and looking at each one back and forth, unsure of what to do. She wants to step in but it's always best to stay back when San gets like this. She learned from past experiences to only step in if it gets bad, and so far, the two are just glaring at each other. She also knows that Quinn's tough enough to stand against Santana so she lets them be, waiting to see who breaks first.

Brittany quietly steps away unnoticed and lies back on Quinn's bed. She grabs a magazine that's sitting on top of the bed, one of Quinn's skateboarding magazines, and mindlessly flips through, mainly looking at pretty pictures.

She doesn't know how much time has elapsed – probably only a minute or so – but she glances up to see that the two girls are still in the same position – carefully studying the other and figuring out their angle, and proving who's more superior. Her stomach is now grumbling and she's ready to break the spell so they can eat dinner, but someone else beats her to it.

Sam unknowingly walks in the room and his appearance abruptly breaks the staring match between Quinn and Santana. The two girls move their gazes towards the intruder and Sam becomes uncomfortable at the looks he's getting. They're not happy looks.

"Uuhh... Dinner time..?" He doesn't intend it to be a question but he's nervous at the unwarranted attention from the two girls. He doesn't wait for them to respond and quickly makes an exit out of the room without a second look back.

"Yay. Dinner." Brittany jumps off the bed at the news of dinner and grabs both girls hand in each of hers and drags them out of the room and down the stairs to the dining room.

The teens help set the table and carry the food that Grammy prepared to the dining table. Santana stays for dinner which apparently is not unusual.

They dig in and Sam and Quinn mostly listen to Brittany talk about cheerleading, Lord Tubbington, and ducks. Santana keeps to herself, replying to Brittany when she asks her a question and nodding here and there to indicate that she's paying attention.

The two newcomers learn a little bit about McKinley high school, which is where they'll finish the second half of their junior year and the rest of senior year. They start school on Monday and they're excited but nervous as well. They have to make new friends and find their cliques all over again. It's not something they look forward to but having Brittany and now, Santana may hopefully make their transition easier.

Dinner finishes without a hitch. They all pitch in to clean up. Grammy retires to her room for the evening, while the teens settle in the basement to watch a movie in the media room.

Brittany picks the movie, Bring It On, because it's all about cheerleading and the girls are hot. The rest of them do not argue and picks a spot to sit on. Brittany and Santana cuddle together on one end of the large couch. Quinn sits on the opposite end, while Sam lay back on the floor in front of the large screen TV.

Halfway through the movie, Santana gets up and announces, "I'm gonna grab drinks and snacks." She looks at Quinn and adds, "Help me out, Fabray."

It sounds like a command, which doesn't sit well with Quinn, and she's tempted to decline, but Santana is giving her the look that she assumes to mean that she wants to talk privately. Quinn takes the hint and stands up, following the Latina up the stairs to the kitchen.

Once they make it into the kitchen, Quinn is about to say something when the Latina abruptly turns around to face her.

"Look, I don't like you, punk Barbie…"

"Punk Barbie?" Quinn raises her eyebrow with the nickname. She's heard a lot of different insults and nicknames, but this is definitely new. She doesn't even look like Barbie. At least, she doesn't think so.

"But you're Britt's cousin, so I will tolerate you." Santana ignores the blonde's question.

"I don't fucking like you either. We can agree to disagree."

They study each other for a minute, until the Latina smirks at the blonde indicating that she's satisfied with their arrangement.

"Good. Now that's settled. Be useful and help me with these." Santana turns to get the snacks and drinks out on the kitchen island.

"I'm not your slave, bitch." Quinn counters but goes to grab some of the drinks and snacks anyway.

"Fuck you." Santana gathers the remaining items on the island. She's actually enjoying their little exchange, and it seems that the blonde is as well, because she's not relenting.

"No, thanks. You're not my type." Quinn doesn't really have a type. If she has to name a type, her best answer will be – female with a vagina. "Besides, don't wanna make Britts sad." She adds as an afterthought, before the Latina can retort back.

Santana decides to ignore Quinn's earlier statement and replies, "Good answer, blondie." She almost starts smiling but catches herself before the blonde sees it. She doesn't want to go soft on the new girl now that they're getting along just fine.

* * *

The next day, Quinn and Sam are exploring the town of Lima while their Grammy is getting her hair done. Brittany has an all-day cheerleading practice, and was gone before Quinn and Sam got out of bed this morning.

Sam goes straight into the only comic book shop in town, and Quinn wanders around on her own. She knows that Sam will most likely be in that shop the entire time until Grammy's done, so she leaves him there. With her skateboard in tow, she sets it on the ground, jumps on it, and skates down the sidewalk. She stops at a few stores that look interesting, but doesn't stay long.

Quinn's riding her skateboard down the sidewalk. The streets are small and not quite as busy as New York, so she isn't too worried about getting sideswiped by speeding cars or reckless cab drivers. She's about to cross the street to the other side and looks both ways on the street for oncoming cars.

The street's empty, so she kicks hard to gain speed to get across quicker. At the corner of her eye, she sees a car come out of nowhere, heading towards her right before she hops back on the sidewalk.

The car tires screech sharply as the driver slams on the brakes, but it's too late and Quinn feels the front of the car tap her, really more like make a hard contact, on her side. She falls on the hood of the car, than slides down, landing on the street with a thud.

Everything happens so fast and Quinn is stunned. She stays lying down on the ground in shock. She can't believe that just happened. She barely hears the car door swing open, and footsteps sprinting towards her, and a high-pitched shrill echo down the street. All she can hear is the loud thumping of her heart as she tries to process what the heck just transpired.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Are you ok? Somebody call 911. Oh my god." A loud panicked voice resonates beside Quinn.

Quinn peers to her right and sees a brunette girl kneeling beside her, her arms frantically flapping around in panic. This breaks Quinn reverie and she quickly sits up.

"Stop. Don't move. You might have injured your spinal cord. You'll only make it worse. Are you in any pain? Where does it hurt? My daddy's a doctor. He'll know what to do. My name's Rachel Berry by the way. Wait. You're not going to sue me are you? That would not be good. My clean driving record will be marred…" The brunette rambles on and on beside Quinn, not giving the blonde any opportunity to answer.

Quinn stares at the verbose brunette disbelievingly. She doesn't think anyone can talk that much without breathing. She's almost impressed until she remembers that she just got hit by a car. Then realization sets in.

"Holy shit. I just got hit by a fucking car." Quinn exclaims. This is definitely a first for her. It's one more thing to add to her list of crazy shit that happened in her life.

"Yes, I think we've already established that. Like I was saying, you should not move. We need to wait for the paramedics to arrive before you get up on…" Rachel trails off worriedly checking the blonde's body for any obvious injuries.

Quinn ignores the brunette and gets on her feet shakily. When she finally gets her footing, she inspects herself to make sure nothing's broken. She's a little sore, and she's definitely going to bruise, but nothing is unbearably painful.

"Excuse me. Did you not hear what I said? I said not to move." Rachel persists, but Quinn continues to ignore the girl and does the complete opposite of what the girl tells her.

Quinn kicks her left leg up, then her right legs, making sure they still work and there are no sharp pains from the movements. She stretches her arms over her head, and then bends one elbow at a time, stretching her arms behind her. She curls her shoulders, twists her body from side to side, and bends down and back. Everything is functioning correctly.

Quinn finally smiles as soon as she confirms that she just survived getting hit by a car with merely a few bruises and minor scratches. She scans the area and smiles wider when she sees her skateboard sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. She grabs it and inspects it, happy to see that it's not damaged, maybe just a scratch or two, but nothing significant.

She remembers the talking brunette, who she assumes is the driver that just slammed into her. She turns to see the brunette who is glaring at her for not listening to her instructions.

"You just fucking hit me." Quinn sharply addresses the girl she's been ignoring.

Rachel's taken aback by the condemnation. Provided, she is guilty, but the girl's fine. She doesn't need to be very harsh. It was an accident. Before she can verbally defend herself, the blonde continues to blast at her.

"How the hell did you even get a driver's license? You could have killed me."

Rachel's now offended and she's not holding back. Victim or not, she's not just going to stand there and allow this stranger to accuse her of being a bad driver. In fact, she's a very careful and safe driver and she goes out of her way to be vigilant whenever she's behind the wheel. This girl came out of nowhere crossing the street on her skateboard. She wasn't even on the pedestrian walkway.

Rachel realizes something, "skateboard.." She mumbles to herself. She glances up at the huge traffic sign behind the blonde, and she smirks.

"You were skateboarding." The brunette simply states, stopping the blonde's rant.

"Yea, so?"

Rachel points to the sign behind Quinn. "No skateboarding allowed." She reads out the words printed on the sign. "You were breaking the law. I'm not at fault here." She challenges the blonde confidently now that she just found proof of her innocence.

Quinn twists to see the sign the brunette is pointing at and shrugs. "You still almost killed me and that's worse than illegal skating. That's practically like attempted murder or something. They should revoke your license and never let you drive… ever. The streets will be safer that way. We can all rest easy…"

"How dare you accuse me of such things? You don't even know me, you.. you delinquent." Rachel is getting flustered at the rude blonde.

"Oh… who's accusing who now? You don't know me either. How do you even know I'm a delinquent? Ha? Ha?" Quinn fires back even though the brunette is correct in saying that she's a delinquent. The short girl doesn't know that though.

They are already attracting a larger audience who wisely stay out of the arguing girls' way. Grammy and Sam make their way through the crowd to see what the commotion is all about. They find Quinn and shorter brunette girl verbally going back and forth a little too loudly.

Sam shakes his head. They have been in Lima for about a day and Quinn's already causing a ruckus. It's so typical of his sister. He's not even surprised at the scene before him.

Grammy rubs her temples at the sight. She knew that Quinn will be giving her headaches, but she underestimated just how much of a headache she's going to suffer while Quinn lives with her. At least now she knows. She steps in between the two girls to keep them as far apart as possible, just in case the argument gets physical. She doesn't think so but it never hurts to be extra cautious.

"Hello, Mrs. Fabray. Do you know this.. person?" Rachel moves her focus from the blonde teen to the elderly blonde and greets Grammy, trying to find a more polite description of the blonde teen. She settles for something generic. She doesn't think it will help her case if she uses harsh terms like hoodlum to refer to the tattooed blonde.

Grammy smiles at Rachel's effort to be polite, but before she can reply, Quinn butts in. "Grammy, you know this psycho driver?"

"Psycho?" Rachel shrieks so loud that everyone winces at the sharp sound that left their ears ringing for a few seconds longer. "How dare you.." She continues but the arrival of the ambulance cuts her off, as the paramedics pushes the crowd away to get to the center, ready to provide medical assistance as quickly as possible. All they find is two red faced teens with Grandma Fabray standing in between them.

"Uumm… Is everything alright? We received a call for a pedestrian collision..?" One of the paramedics asks unsurely. This doesn't look like a situation that requires their services.

Grammy takes it upon herself to settle the situation. "Everything is alright, boys. I apologize for the call, but everyone is in fine health. I believe it's all a misunderstanding."

The paramedics eventually left after Grammy assures them that no one is hurt. The crowd also disperses now that there's nothing of interest happening, leaving Sam, Grammy, Quinn, and Rachel standing on the sidewalk with Rachel's car still parked at the same spot from where she abruptly stopped.

The two teens are still glaring at each other but haven't exchange any more words.

"Well then. We best head home." Grammy breaks tension. She gives the brunette a hug and this makes Rachel smile. "Please say hello to your father for me, Rachel. We need to schedule another dinner soon."

"I will, Grammy. And we definitely will soon." Rachel replies politely with a beaming smile, a stark contrast to the scowl she was sporting a minute ago.

Grammy foregoes introducing her grandchildren to avoid any more possible altercation between Rachel and Quinn. So she puts her arms on each of Sam and Quinn's shoulders and leads them away from the brunette, who waves them goodbye.

Quinn wants to ask her Grammy about the annoying brunette who almost killed her, but thinks twice about it. She really doesn't want to relive the experience, especially the fight – although it was only a verbal fight – but she's sure that her Grammy will still be disappointed at her. So she pushes her curiosity down.

One things for sure, she definitely doesn't like this Rachel Berry girl. She hopes and prays to never have to see and deal with the aggravating girl after today.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Send me suggestions. I'm just making things up as I go. Thank you for reading._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Notes:**_

_This chapter is rushed, because I really want to update sooner than later, so forgive my mistakes, which will be inevitable. If you can kindly point out my mistakes, I will gladly fix them. I don't have a schedule on how often I'll be updating, but I'll do my best to update as frequently as possible._

_I'm still amazed at the amount of interest in this story. Thank you so much for that. It encourages me to write more. I realized it would take too much space to note down everyone's usernames on here, so watch your inbox because I'll be sending you a thank you PM._

_Do bear with me as I trudge my way through fiction writing. This is the first of hopefully many stories, and I'm learning as I go. I hope I get better as I write more, and I do appreciate feedback and advice from anyone who knows a whole more than I do. I believe that will include every one of you, since I'm practically a newbie here. Once again, thank you and enjoy._

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't own Glee, and I'm not making anything out of this. It's all just for fun._

* * *

**[ Chapter 3 ]**

The first day of school at McKinley for Quinn and Sam starts out as any typical school day. Quinn rolls out of bed when her alarm goes off. With half-closed eyes, she drags her feet into the bathroom to get ready. Sam oversleeps as usual, and Grammy has to kick him out of bed to wake him up. He rushes to get ready and finishes about the same amount of time as Quinn.

The brother and sister sluggishly make their way downstairs into the kitchen. A very upbeat and energetic Brittany is finishing up the last few bites of her breakfast. She beams a wide smile and greets a cheerful, "Good morning," to Quinn and Sam as soon as she sees them.

Quinn manages a grunt, which Brittany takes as a hello or good morning, while Sam completely ignores her. Brittany shrugs at the lack of response and goes back to finishing her breakfast. She figures that Sam and Quinn are probably not morning people.

After a cup of black coffee with no sugar for Quinn and coffee with cream and sugar for Sam, they join the world of the living and are in much better mood. They leave for school with Quinn jumping into the driver seat of her jeep, which finally made it to Lima yesterday afternoon. Sam jumps into the passenger seat while Brittany takes the back seat.

Santana usually picks Brittany up for school and drops her home, but Brittany decides it's best to go with her cousins since they're new to the school and the area.

They make it to school with plenty of time to spare before the first bell rings. Quinn picks the next available spot close to the building.

McKinley high school looks like any normal high school. The usual cliques and social hierarchy is apparent from the jocks that are clustered together based on the sport they play to the geeks and nerds who are lower on the social ladder to the cheerleaders, and etc.

Santana makes her way to the three Fabrays. She gives Quinn and Sam a nod, and Brittany a hug and peck on her cheek.

"What's the plan?" Santana asks the brother and sister.

Quinn shrugs, "Stay invisible and lay low? Whatever to stay away from trouble. Don't wanna get sent to someplace worse than Lima."

Sam enthusiastically nods in agreement. He's very sure that wherever Quinn gets sent to, he's going with her, and vice versa. He really hates leaving his friends and having to start all over again, so the longer they can stay in Lima, the better.

Across the parking lot, a group of four football players are hanging around a pick-up truck. Two of them are tossing the football back and forth. Noah Puckerman is leaning against his truck, people watching. Something or someone catches his eyes, and he zones in on the three blondes and Latina.

"Who are the new kids hanging with Brittany and Santana?" Puck asks his teammate beside him.

Mike Chang, who's focused on his phone and texting his girlfriend, Tina, looks up to see who Puck is asking about. "Brittany's cousins who moved here a few days ago." He quickly replies and goes back to his texting.

Brittany and Mike have dance lessons every weekend at the Lima Dance Studio, and Brittany had been going on and on about her cousins who are moving to Lima. He's pretty sure he knows their entire life story even though he hasn't met them yet.

"That new chick is hot, in a bad girl punk chick kinda way. I'd totally tap that." He ogles the new blonde girl from afar. "I bet she totally wants the puckasaurus."

"She's gay." Mike simply tells Puck without looking up. Brittany did mention to him that both her cousins like girls.

Puck turns to Mike in disbelief. "What? No way. How would you even know that, dude? You haven't even talked to her."

Mike shrugs. He doesn't really expect Puck to believe him anyway. "Whatever, man. I'm going to go find Tina." He walks away leaving a confused Puck. If puck doesn't believe him, then Puck can make a fool of himself for all he cares. That will definitely be entertaining to witness, but unfortunately, Tina is waiting for him.

Puck furrows his brows processing what Mike just revealed to him. He chances another glance at the new girl. She's really hot with all her tattoos, and wonders how many other ones she has under all her clothes. He grins at the thought of exploring her body and discovering each of them in very intimate places. He's not even sure if she has any tattoos in intimate places, but he will gladly find out for himself.

He completely forgets about Mike's words, and decides to make his move. Why waste time when she's standing right there just waiting for him. He swaggers over to her with a smirk that never fails to hook girls in.

Quinn is on her smartphone playing a word game against someone across the world. She's winning by only a point, and she just needs to find that highest point word to seal the deal.

Beside her, Brittany and Sam are talking about something she doesn't understand – some code or secret language they share since they were young, she's not sure. Santana is also on her smartphone not really paying attention to the two taller blondes either.

She finally finds the word and is a couple letters away from spelling it out when a clearing of throat interrupts her game. She mistakenly glances up at a tall boy with tan skin and weird haircut. This quick glance allows her opponent to find and spell that highest point word first and a dinging sound indicates her loss.

A low roar comes out of lips. She decides to ignore the boy standing beside her too closely for her liking because she's sure that one look at him, she may punch that smirk off his smug face, so she starts a new game.

Puck clears his throat again, louder this time just in case the new girl didn't hear him the first time.

Quinn gives up on ignoring the annoying intruder and barks at him. "WHAT?"

Brittany and Sam stop chatting to see what is up with Quinn, and Santana also looks up from her phone. They find Puck standing beside Quinn with a smug look. Santana perks up, curious to see how this will play out. She knows what Puck's intentions are. She has seen that look too many times.

Quinn's tone doesn't faze Puck and he propositions her in the most suave and seductive voice he can conjure up. "So you're hot. I'm hot. Let's do this. What do you say, babe?" He wiggles an eyebrow and clenches his arms to enhance his guns for good measure.

Quinn stares blankly at him for a few seconds, studying to see if he's serious. When she realizes that he isn't kidding, she snorts at him. "Are you for real?" She can hear Santana trying to hold in a giggle, but Brittany and Sam stay quiet beside her, just watching the interaction.

"Uuhhh…. Yea." This isn't going the way Puck imagines, but she hasn't flat out rejected him yet, so there's still a chance.

Quinn turns to Brittany and Santana and seriously asks them, "Does he always talk like this? Girls fall for this crap?"

"Yea, unfortunately." Santana responds with an exasperated shrug.

"Wow. And the squirrel on the head look is supposed to be cool?" Quinn inquires further pointing an index finger to Puck's head.

Puck frowns at the insult. His mohawk is sexy and it makes him look more badass. "Hey. I'm standing right here." He whines trying to make his presence known since the girls seem to be ignoring him and not talking nicely about him.

"Right. Well, good luck, man." Quinn brushes him off, and grabs her bag from the backseat of the Jeep, turning towards the school building.

"Wait. What about us? You and me? Hitting it up and stuff." Puck stops her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Nope. Never gonna happen… ever." Quinn shoves his hand off her shoulder.

"Why not? I can show you a good time. Think of it as my welcome to Lima gift to you. You won't regret it." Puck pleads. He knows he's almost begging at this point, but he rarely gets shut down that it's really bruising his ego.

"Not unless you want my dick shoved up your ass."

It takes a minute but her words finally register in Puck's mind. "Say what?"

"I said do you want my dick fucking your ass?"

Puck stares at her still confused at what she's saying. She just basically told him she has a dick. Is that even possible? He's not sure if he heard right, but it's too complex of a thought for him to process right now. He tries to form words but all he can manage is opening and closing his mouth without a sound.

"Or better yet, you can just suck my dick, asshole." Quinn walks away from him, heading towards the building.

Brittany and Sam look at the surprised Puck, then at each other, shrugs and follow after Quinn.

Santana finally lets out a holler. "You gots burned, Puckerman." She leaves him standing and gawking, as she catches up to the Fabrays.

"Damn. That's bad-ass " Puck mumbles to himself. He's almost sure that she just told him she's gay. He should have listened to Mike. Maybe having a girl penis is code for lesbian. He's not sure, but whatever it is, he's impressed with the new girl, and thinks they'll get along really well.

* * *

Quinn finds her first class with some effort. Sam and the two cheerios have their classes on the other side of the school, so she's left alone to navigate around the hallways to her first class – Chemistry. She makes it just in time. Everyone is already in their seats and the teacher is writing some general welcome information on the board.

The classroom is a chemistry laboratory and the tables are set up with two seats per table. She assumes that your seatmate will also be your lab partner. She spots the only available seat left in the classroom, and glances up to the other person sharing a table. She instantly grimaces at the sight.

The crazy girl who ran her over is her seatmate slash lab partner. The brunette is also staring at her with a pointed look. She definitely doesn't look happy, but Quinn isn't happy either. Lady luck obviously isn't on her side lately.

With the slight frown, the teacher addresses the late-comer. "May I help you?"

She breaks eye contact with the brunette and hands the teacher the paper she got from the principal. The teacher skims it over and announces to the class, "We have a new student. Welcome, Miss Fabray. Please take a seat so we can get started."

Not wanting detention on her first day and first class, Quinn unwillingly takes the seat beside the brunette and throws her messenger bag on the table. She pulls out her notebook and a pen, and then positions her bag at the center of the table to ensure that she's separated as far away from the brunette as possible.

Rachel throws Quinn a glare, but quickly turns her attention back to the teacher. She's not happy with this at all. She not only has to deal with this rude blonde in school or in class, they have to end up as lab partners for the entire semester, but she'll take the high road and do her best to work with the blonde, because Rachel Berry never cowers in the face of hardship and challenge.

The two girls learn of each other's names indirectly because as anticipated, they're forced to be lab partners for the duration of the semester. They stay out of each other's way as much as possible, but fail as soon as they start organizing the lab materials assigned to them. Even cleaning and inventorying the items sparks an argument on how to properly arrange the items on their cabinet.

They start raising their voices at each other but the teacher scolds them before it gets too heated. They continue with harsh whispers bickering back and forth, disagreeing with everything.

At the end of the class, Quinn quickly collects her things and rushes out of the classroom trying to avoid any more unnecessary interaction with the brunette.

She gets lost again and barely makes it to the next class, only to find out that she once again shares the next class with the same brunette. Luckily, there's an empty seat all the way in back of the class as far away from the brunette as possible who's sitting front and center. It is going to be a long day.

* * *

Quinn is making her way to the lunchroom when someone calls out to her from behind. She turns to see who it is and frowns at the person coming up to her.

"New girl, I think we should be bros." Puck proposes when he catches up to Quinn.

Quinn raises an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"Coz you're badass and I'm badass. It'll be awesome."

Quinn thinks about it for a second and shrugs. "Sure. Why not." It's not like she has anything better to do and any new friend she can make is always welcomed in this new school and new town.

"Sweet. Let's grab food, lesbro." Puck walks with her to the lunchroom, whistling a happy tune.

"Lesbro?" Quinn finally asks about the new word she's never heard before.

"You're into girls right?" Puck inquires with little hesitation. He figures she pretty much already told him she's gay, but it doesn't hurt to confirm just to make sure.

"Yea." Quinn confirms, not really hiding the fact that she's gay from anyone. Puck seems like a guy who would be fine with her being gay.

"Cool. Me too. You can be my wing-man or wing-woman… whatever, and I can be yours. I'll even teach you some of my moves."

"Uh… I think I can manage with my own moves, bro." Quinn recalls his actions from this morning and it was probably the worst pick-up line she's ever heard. She's better off not taking any advice from him.

"Suit yourself." He shrugs. It's her lose if she doesn't want to take any of his pointers.

They continue walking in silence but Quinn can tell that Puck wants to ask her something, but is hesitating. He's not doing a good job of pretending to be indifferent when he's opening and closing his mouth abruptly as if he's ready to say something but decides against it. This happened a few times, and Quinn can clearly see his actions from the corner of her eyes.

She can't take it anymore. "Just ask, dude." She demands sounding annoyed.

Puck scratches the back of his head, nervous on how the blonde will react, but his curiosity is getting the best of him. "So like do you have… uumm… are you really packing?" He stammers but manages to ask the question that's been gnawing at him all morning.

Quinn eyes him with a raised eyebrow. She's reading him like a book, trying to decide if it's a good idea to tell him or not. He's been cool so far, so she tells him, but delivers her confirmation aggressively to let him know he better not fuck with her. "Yup. You got a problem with that?"

Puck shakes his head hastily to let her know he has no problem with it at all. He has no doubt that she can kick his ass. He definitely doesn't want to mess with this girl.

"No. It's cool, man. It's weird but I'm actually alright with it." He admits.

Quinn nods without saying anything else. She's relieved that he accepts her condition easily. So far, Lima has been very open and accepting of her and Sam.

"Can I see it?" Puck asks abruptly out of nowhere.

"What?" Quinn's eyes widen in shock at the question. She definitely isn't expecting that.

Puck realizes what he just asked. Truthfully, he didn't even think before the words came out of his mouth. He immediately takes it back. "Fuck. That sounded so gay. I mean… no offense. Sorry…. Uuhhh… forget what I said, man."

"Bro or not, no way I'm showing you my junk."

Pucks says out loud what both of them are thinking. "Shit. I can't believe I just said that."

They both laugh at where the conversation went and the awkwardness dissipates after that.

"You can call me, Puck, by the way."

"Quinn."

Puck puts his fist up for Quinn, and Quinn bumps her fist to his.

* * *

Quinn is softly humming while emptying her bladder in the girl's bathroom. She made sure the bathroom is empty and picked the last stall, locking the door behind her. She doesn't want to draw any additional attention to her and reveal her condition to the entire school. Sure, a few people close to her know, but that's fine because she can trust them.

In her previous school, she made no effort at keeping her condition a secret and she didn't really have any major problems with people's reaction to it, but Lima is different from NYC. One can never know how the people of Lima will react. It's best to avoid any possible problems, so keeping it a secret is the best option for her right now.

Quinn finishes up and tucks herself back in her pants, making sure it's well hidden with no obvious bulge. She steps out of the stall and is startled to see someone leaning against the sink watching her carefully.

"What the fuck, Satan? You scared the hell out of me." Quinn goes to wash her hands. "What are you doing being a creeper?"

"So it's true then." Santana asks crossing her hands on her chest.

"What is?" Quinn's honestly not sure what the cheerleader is talking about. The Latina just comes seemingly out of nowhere and interrogates her with cryptic questions. She's starting to get irritated.

Santana ignores her question and gives her a smirk that makes Quinn uncomfortable.

Quinn gasps when the Latina unexpected grabs her between the legs, getting a good feel of her penis, and squeezing a little to make sure it's really there. Yup, it's really there. There's no doubt about it.

Quinn swats her hand away as soon as she recovers from the shock, "Get your hands off my junk."

Santana grins at Quinn and proceeds to wash her hands as if she just touched something nasty.

"Britts told me and I just wanted to check for myself." The Latina shrugs and walks out of the bathroom as if nothing happened, leaving a seething blonde behind her.

Quinn's not sure what's going on today. It seems to be a get on Quinn's nerve day. All these inquiries about her dick are not at all amusing to her, especially with the odd questions and inappropriate and unwarranted touching. She cannot wait for this day to be over. She drags her feet out of the bathroom to her next class.

* * *

At the end of the day, Quinn's leaning back against her locker listening to Brittany telling her all about Glee club and how she should join and the Latina nodding along beside Brittany, agreeing with the blonde. She's waiting for Sam so they can head home; maybe go to the gym or the skate park.

Brittany and Santana have cheerios practice in half an hour, so it's just going to be her and Sam hanging out after school.

Sam sprints down the hall towards them with a huge smile on his face. He excitedly tells them, "I found her."

"Who?" Quinn asks.

"The one." Sam replies with a wide smile.

"One what?" Santana voices her confusion. Sometimes, she feels like the blonde boy is talking in code, just like Brittany, but she already knows how to decipher her words. Not with Sam yet. She just met the boy a couple of days ago. It will take some time for her to fully get him.

"The girl that I wanna be with forever."

"Oh just like San is for me." Brittany comments with a large smile, sharing Sam's excitement.

"Yea, just like that B." Sam responds.

"That's awesome. Maybe we can go feed the ducks together, like a double date."

"Wait. Who's the girl?" Santana curiously asks, wondering if it's someone she knows.

"Her name's Mercedes." Sam beams, liking the way her name rolls off his tongue.

"Aretha? Sammy, you need better taste in women. That diva's a handful." Santana exclaims with a laugh. It's definitely an odd pairing – Sam and Mercedes.

"She's so awesome. She laughed at my jokes and impressions, and she listened to me when I told her about my favorite comic books. Q, she laughed and listened. You know how much that means to me." Sam defends with a faraway look. He's really into the girl even though he just met her a few hours ago.

"I know, Sammy." Quinn smiles at him. She isn't sure that this is forever as Sam declared, but she wants to support her brother, and he looks happy.

"And she told me I'm adorable." Sam adds dreamily.

"Ay dios mio. Kid's gots it bad." Santana shakes his head on Sam.

"If you're sure about this, then go for it, Sammy. I got your back, you know that, little bro. Just be careful." Quinn rests a hand on Sam's shoulder and giving it a light squeeze of encouragement.

"Thanks, sis."

"Yey. We need to plan our dates. Maybe you can teach her our secret language…" Brittany suggests and the two taller blondes start planning possible dates and future plans.

"These two." Santana shakes her head as the two blondes get lost in their own world.

"What's up, lesbros?" Puck shows up and fist bumps Quinn. "What's up with those two?" He asks looking at a whispering and giggling Sam and Brittany.

"Don't ask." Quinn dismisses him without malice. She's given up trying to figure those two out.

"They will totally look good together." Puck comments base on what he sees. The two taller blondes do get along really well and look like they're having fun in their own worlds. He thinks he hears a few gibberish words between the two but he's not sure. Whatever, they look cute together.

"What?" Santana widens her eyes at what Puck's words. She's not sure she heard him correctly, but judging from Quinn's reaction, gapping mouth, he must have said what she thought she heard him say.

"Like seriously, in an alternate universe or something, they'd make a great couple. They get each other and all." Puck explains nonchalantly, munching on his protein bar.

Brittany hears Puck and enthusiastically adds, "Oh and we'd get married…"

"Yea, and Q and Sam would be the 'it' couple in school – like Barbie and Ken." Santana adds sarcastically, sticking her finger in her mouth and making barfing sounds.

Puck, Quinn, and Santana stay quiet for a minute to think about it and their faces contorted in disgust at the images their minds form.

"Ugh, please let's never talk about this ever again." Quinn says looking sick at the idea. Not only is it illegal, but she's gay for crying out loud. She will never date someone like Sam. She shudders at the suggestion.

"That's fucking disturbing; I need to bleach my brain." Santana cusses trying to wipe the images out of her mind to no avail. It will definitely take a lot of alcohol for her to forget them.

Puck shrugs unaffected, finishing her protein bar and tossing the plastic wrapper in a nearby bin.

"Britts and I have cheerios. Laters, losers." Santana decides it's time to make an exit before the conversation goes somewhere else even more disturbing like Puck and Quinn forking each other or Quinn dating Finnept or herself sleeping with Finnept. She almost vomits in her mouth a little for just thinking about it.

Santana grabs Brittany's hand and pulls her away from the group. Brittany waves them goodbye with a wide smile, completely unaffected by the conversation that just occurred.

"And the Puckster has football. Peace, bros." Puck opts to make an exit as well when he notices the time. He doesn't want to be late for football practice because Coach Beiste can be unforgiving with her punishments.

When they are left alone standing in the hallway, Quinn turns to her brother, pulling the topic back to the new girl in Sam's life. "So what's the plan to get your girl, Sammy?"

"I don't know. You know I'm bad at this. So I'm definitely going to need your help to not mess this up." Sam scratches his head because he's not romantic at all, and what he thought were nice gestures for girls turned out to be disasters in his past experiences.

Quinn raises an eyebrow because she really is not good with relationships or wooing girls at all. She just knows sex, but has no clue when it comes to feelings and emotions and being sweet stuff, but she will do anything to help her brother out. "I don't exactly have a great track record when it comes to relationships, but I'll help you out, k?"

"You're great in relationships, Q… if you're actually in one. Like you were great with M…" Sam starts to defend but Quinn interrupts him before he can say anything more.

"Please don't even mention that again." Quinn firmly says, her tone bordering in anger, but Sam can tell that she's holding it.

"Sorry, Q." Sam looks apologetic. He doesn't want to push his sister right now, and he changes the subject. "Let's go to the gym. I need to work on my guns to get Mercedes to fall for me."

"I'm in."

They make their way out of the school, but halfway down the hall, a football player holding two large cups of some type of refreshment is walking towards them. Quinn doesn't think much of it, and the two of them are caught by surprise when the freezing cold liquid hits their faces.

They both gasp at the impact. It hurt like hell. It feels like someone punching Quinn in the face, and she's stunned unsure of what just happened. She is brought out of her trance upon hearing a loud roaring laugh in front of her.

Dave Karofsky is highly amused at his handiwork on the new kids in school. He mockingly laughs at them and their shock expressions. "Welcome to Lima, losers." He finishes his work by tossing the empty Styrofoam cups of slushies at the new kids, hitting them right on their foreheads with it.

Quinn snaps when the cup makes contact with her forehead. It doesn't hurt but the humiliation is far worst. She roars and slams the football player into a locker with strength that surprises the bigger and taller football player.

Karofsky winces at the pain when his back hits one of the locker handles. Fear takes over him when he stares at angry hazel eyes that are burning with fury. He struggles for breath because she's cutting off his windpipes with her deceptively strong forearm.

Quinn pushes harder into his neck and he realizes that she may actually kill him. He tries to push her away from him but his lack of oxygen is weakening his resolve and she's definitely stronger than she looks.

Quinn is growling like a wild animal, red slushy dripping down her face, hair and clothes. No one disrespects her like this and she's not showing any mercy. She sees fear and desperation in the football player's pleading eyes. "Who's losing now?" She snarls at him with contempt.

The football player stops struggling as tears fall down his eyes. He's slowly losing consciousness from the lack of oxygen.

Sam recovers from the slushy attack and finds his sister close to killing the big football player, who's looking a little pale and almost blue. He instantly wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her away from him. The football player falls down to the ground, gasping for breath and holding on to his sore neck.

Quinn struggles to get out of Sam and get her hands back on the football player, and Sam's doing his best to get her to calm down. "Sis, calm down. Just let him go. We'll take care of him later."

Sam's words seem to calm to the blonde down and Sam let's her go once he's sure she's not going go after the football player who's crawling away from them as quickly as he can, but the pain on his throat is slowing him down.

Quinn walks to the football player who's pathetically trying to escape from them and Sam makes a move to stop her, but she puts a hand up, silently telling him it's ok and that she's not going to do anything drastic.

Quinn towers over Dave, who's on the ground on his knees and hands. She grabs a fistful of the football player's hair and harshly pulls his head back. He groans from the pain.

Quinn leans down and coldly whispers in his ears, "Stay the fuck away from us or I will really kill you next time. You're lucky my brother's here to stop me." She lets him go, and addresses her brother, "Let's go clean up this shit. I'll meet you at the car."

Sam nods and searches for the closest men's bathroom to wipe as much of the gooey substance off his face and hair and clothes.

Quinn roughly pushes the door to the women's bathroom and it swings widely, slamming in to the wall with a loud smacking sound. She angrily stomps towards the sink, muttering curses under her breath, unsure of where to begin with the clean-up.

* * *

Rachel is on her way to the choir room for her usual after school voice training. Glee club doesn't meet today, but she always makes an effort to put in additional practice whenever she can. She hears a commotion down the hall and witnesses Karofsky slushy the new students. She frowns at the sight before her.

Before she can react, she is shocked to see the blonde girl – the rude one who accused her of heinous crimes – effortlessly attack Karofsky, pinning him to the locker. She's somewhat relieve to see Karofsky get a taste of his own medicine.

What she doesn't expect is for the blonde girl to suffocate Karofsky. He may deserve to be punished for bullying but death is too extreme. She starts to jog towards the commotion in hopes of stopping the blonde girl from killing the Neanderthal, but the blonde boy pulls the blonde girl off before she's even halfway there.

She stops in her tracks and stays back to continue observing as soon as Karofsky looks safe enough from an untimely death. She hides behind a row of lockers just in case she draws their attention. She doesn't want a rabid blonde turning to attack her instead.

The blonde calms down at her brother's prodding, but once again moves in on Karofsky. She hopes that the blonde doesn't attempt to murder him again. She sees the blonde pull a wincing Karofsky's head back and whisper the threat and warning to the football player.

The carefully spoken words are loud enough for it to echo down the empty hallway and for Rachel's sensitive ears to pick it up. She shivers from the coldness of the blonde's voice. The blonde was rude to her but never this cruel and heartless. She's grateful that she's not the receiver of such intense hate and anger.

She sees Karofsky scurrying away on all fours as soon as he gets the chance, disappearing around the corner. The two blondes also disappear into the bathrooms, she assumes to clean the slushies off. She makes a quick decision to follow the blonde girl into the bathroom.

Rachel walks in and Quinn turns to the intruder with a scowl on her face.

The brunette steels herself, ready to deal with the difficult blonde. She notices the blonde girl holding a dry paper towel, unsuccessfully wiping the drying slushy off her stained face. She shakes her head at the blonde's lack of experience in slushy clean-up.

"What do you want, Berry?" Quinn snaps at the brunette. She's still angry and she doesn't have the patience to deal with the annoying brunette right now.

Rachel ignores Quinn's question and moves to stand in front of the blonde. She grabs the paper towel from Quinn's hand, turns the faucet on, and wets the paper towel. "Let me help you, Quinn. You are not doing this correctly."

Quinn raises an eyebrow to the brunette but doesn't say anything, allowing the brunette to do what she needs to do.

Rachel carefully wipes the blonde's face with the damp paper towel, successfully wiping the red stain off her pale face. "I have plenty of experience with this. I have developed the best technique in cleaning up after a slushy attack. First thing is to use a damp paper towel to wipe the stain off. A dry paper towel just wouldn't do…" She finishes with the blonde's face, then motions for her to sit on the stool in front of the farthest sink in the corner.

"What?" The blonde asks eyeing the stool suspiciously. She doesn't know what the brunette's motives are for helping her because she's been nothing but confrontational to her in their past interactions. She wonders if the brunette is waiting for her to let guard down, and then attack her when she least expects it. She is, after all, a pessimist.

"Sit down, Quinn." Rachel demands and points to the stool beside her.

"Uuhh… No." Quinn shakes her head, refusing to follow Rachel's instructions.

"Don't be so difficult. Sit down now." This time, Rachel, says it louder like she's not kidding around.

Quinn eyes for a few seconds, and then holds her hands up defeat. "Fine." She doesn't want to deal with a fight with the brunette right now and all the stickiness in her hair is making her feel icky. She sits down on the stool with the sink behind her.

"Lean back and rest your head on the sink."

"What?"

"Just do what I say. I know what I'm doing. I'm an expert at this." Rachel folds her hands in front of her chest to show that she means business.

"Are you always this bossy?" Quinn grunts but does what the brunette says anyway. The next thing she knows, the brunette is washing her hair and running her fingers through her blonde locks, which relaxes her. She feels all the anger and frustration wash away with the slushy residues on her hair. She closes her eyes and involuntarily hums in approval.

"Someone likes that." Rachel teases the blonde, happy that the blonde doesn't appear to be angry anymore, and mentally patting herself in the back for dissipating a burning fire.

The blonde hums her approval, keeping her eyes close. Rachel is baffled at the stark contrast in the blonde's demeanor just a few minutes ago and in their previous interactions, but she's definitely not complaining.

Rachel shuts the water off when she's done. "Don't move. I'll be right back." She runs out of the bathroom before the blonde can answer.

Quinn contemplates going against Rachel's request but her hair is still dripping wet and she doesn't have anything to dry it off with, so she decides to wait, hoping that the brunette is not setting her up for a prank. If she is, then heads will really roll.

Not too long after, Rachel bursts back inside the bathroom with a bag in hand. She smiles when she finds the blonde in the same position she left her in. She half expects the blonde to be gone by the time she gets back. She sets the bag on a nearby sink and pulls out a clean towel and proceeds to dry Quinn's hair as much as possible and pats the water off her face as well.

"Ok, you're all set." Rachel pulls back, allowing Quinn to get up from the stool.

"Thanks." Quinn mumbles quietly, and runs her fingers through her short blonde locks. Her hair is still a little damp but it's slushy free. Her shirt on the other hand is sticky and uncomfortable and she pulls at it, looking down to see how bad it is.

Seeing the blonde check her ruined shirt, she offers, "I have an extra shirt if you want to change out of those."

Quinn looks up to meet the brunette's eye, not expecting the offer. The brunette has been nothing but kind to her during this whole slushy ordeal, helping her clean-up and offering a clean shirt for her to wear. It's almost like this is a different girl from the one who ran her over and have been bantering with.

"Nah, I'm heading home anyway." She declines because she doesn't want to owe any more to the brunette, and there's no use in changing her shirt when she'll be taking a shower as soon as she gets home.

Rachel nods and an awkward silence hangs over them, unsure of how else to proceed. They're used to bantering and arguing, so this civility is completely new.

"Well, I best get going then." Rachel ends the awkward silence, grabs her bag, and moves to exit the bathroom.

Before the brunette makes it out of the door, Quinn calls out to her. "Hey Berry."

Rachel stops halfway out the door and turns to look at the blonde.

"You're alright." Quinn tells her with a really small smile that Rachel notices.

Rachel beams and responds, "You're not too bad yourself, Fabray." And she disappears behind the door.

* * *

_**A/N:** Please review. Send me suggestions. I'm just making things up as I go. I would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading._


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author's Notes:_**

_anon, MyGreatnessHasArrived120, Justmee2, SnugBr534 - __I had to re-post this a few times because it wasn't working earlier, but I guess it was a FF issue that's happening across the board. It's all good now._

_Levis – I'm all for realism as well. In this story, I've decided not to specify Quinn's G!P size at all. I'll just say it's more than average, but I'll leave everything else up to the reader's imagination. And M is not Marley. That's all I've figured right now. So stay tuned to find out more. :)_

_beaner008 – Yes, we'll definitely see Quinn's protectiveness._

_mythic-lionheart – I needed someone to pair Sam with someone and Mercedes was the best option I could think of without creating an original character. :)_

_anon – For sure. Slushy clean-up is the best way to bond._

_quinnsberry – Don't worry. No pregnancy storyline here. I didn't plan on doing that._

_mamastei – Yes, Rachel is indeed single here, but an ex-boyfriend or two will cause some issues for faberry._

_To everyone else, thank you so much for the reviews, follows, favorites, and for reading._

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't own Glee, and I'm not making anything out of this. It's all just for fun._

* * *

**[ Chapter 4 ]**

The first few days at McKinley go by very quickly. Sam and Quinn establish a routine for their school days. When their friends do not have after-school practice, they will hang out somewhere – at the mall, at somebody's house, at Breadstix, at the park, etc. When it's just Sam and Quinn, they will go the gym, Skate Park, stay home and play video games, or help Grammy with whatever she needs.

Today, Quinn and Puck are sitting on the bleachers waiting for Sam and the two cheerios. They are going to go to the park and feed the ducks at Brittany's request. No one can ever say no to Brittany and even if you foolishly do, Santana will make sure you change your mind.

Quinn is getting used to life in Lima a little bit every day. She still misses living in a big city, but the quietness and slower pace is growing on her. She feels more relaxed lately.

Being away from all the craziness that was her life is a breath of fresh air, and starting over isn't as bad as she initially thought. She's getting along well with her new friends, and there are no pressures in school or reputations to uphold and defend. She can be whoever she wants to be here in Lima.

Sam runs up the steps to where Quinn and Puck are lounging. "Sis, let's join glee club." Sam tells Quinn when he stands in front of the two waiting teens. He looks enthusiastic about the plan.

"Glee club?" Quinn questions. Their old high school also had a glee club but it disbanded very quickly when no one wanted to join the club. She knows that they sing and dance, but that's enough to ward her off of such a club.

"Yea." Sam nods excitedly.

"No way, dude. That's for losers." Puck advices the two blondes. The Glee kids are losers, and he definitely doesn't want his friends to bring down their reps.

"But Q, Mercedes is in it and I need every chance I can get to be closer to her." Sam pleads with Quinn. He's been talking with Mercedes every chance he gets, but they only have one class together. He needs more opportunities to get to know her better. Pus, if he's in the glee club, he can sing her some songs too, and hopefully sweep her off her feet with his musical abilities.

"I don't know, Sammie. You can join if you want…" Quinn says unsurely. She isn't planning on joining any clubs at all. She just wants to go with the flow, blend in with the crowd as much as she can, and stay in the background. There's no need for her to draw any unnecessary attention to herself.

"I need you to do this with me. I need my Robin." Sam asks with puppy dog eyes that he knows will get to his sister.

"Why do you get to be Batman?" Quinn raises an eyebrow. She already knows she's going to give in, but she doesn't want to give in without a little bit of a fight. She attempts to change the subject by challenging Sam's comic book reference. She really doesn't mind being Sam's sidekick once in a while.

In reality, Sam is often the blonde's side kick or wingman since she's older than him. She tends to take the lead, but sometimes she'll let go of the reins and let Sam lead the way. Besides, every time she took the lead, they both end up in trouble. She wonders why Sam hasn't stopped listening to her yet, but she knows that they have each other's back no matter what. Blood trumps anything else.

"Coz I came up with the plan, and I look better as Batman."

"What are you bitches yapping about?" Santana asks as she and Brittany come up to the three hand in hand with their duffels on their shoulders.

"Sam and Quinn are joining the glee club." Puck answers for them.

"Oh, that's so great. San and I are in the glee club." Brittany excitedly claps her hand at the news.

"You're both in glee club?" Quinn can't believe that the two most popular girls in school are in a group that Puck deems a club of losers.

"Yes, we are. This is going to so much fun. We can all do a song together." Brittany replies happily. She's having so much fun in glee club and it will be even better if her cousins are also there to dance with and sing with.

Quinn turns to Santana with a questioning look. Brittany is always excited about a lot of things, but it doesn't explain why they're in glee club, especially bad-ass from Lima Heights Santana.

Santana shrugs like it's not a big deal. "Britt loves to dance, and she gets to dance a lot in glee club."

"And San is there to support me. She can sing really well too." Brittany adds and Santana blushes at the compliment. She knows she can sing. She practically rubs it in everyone's faces in glee club every chance she gets, but she always gets all shy when the compliment comes from her girlfriend.

Quinn smirks at how whipped Santana is, and she teases her by snapping her hand like she's holding a whip and adding in the sound effect. The Latina glares at her and gives her the middle finger.

"You should come with us to glee practice tomorrow, and you can do your try out." Brittany suggests. She cannot wait for them to join the club. The sooner, the better.

"Try out?" Quinn questions.

"Audition." Santana clarifies.

"Fuck. Might as well join then. Y'all gonna need the Puckster's help anyway." Puck resigns. He never admits it out loud, but he actually loves music. He can sing and play the guitar. He just never did it in front of other people before, because he didn't want to look soft, but if Q and Sam are doing it, then he might as well do it with them.

"Awesome. We'll practice tonight." Sam tells them; already running through songs they can sing in his head.

"We need a bad-ass song. Nothing sappy coz that's just not the Puckster's style. I'm already joining loserville. I can't be messing with any more of my rep with a lame ass song."

* * *

Santana and Brittany walk into the choir room first, and their three friends follow behind them. They take their seats all the way to back of the room. All the members of the glee club are already there, waiting for Mr. Schuster to arrive. Seeing the new faces, the chatters end and they turn their attention to the visitors.

Rachel raises an eyebrow as she follows the blonde's movements with her eyes. She wonders what her lab partner is doing in glee club. She doesn't strike her as the glee club type. She knows that the blonde is good friends with the cheerios, so maybe she's there with her brother to show some support for the two cheerios.

Quinn notices Rachel sitting front and center. She didn't know the brunette is in glee club, but then they barely talk about anything personal, so she really doesn't know much about the shorter girl. They mostly bicker in chemistry lab, but their arguments are more playful now and not at all harsh.

Quinn decides to tease the brunette and throws her a wink. She laughs internally when she sees the brunette giving her surprised and confused look. She's not sure, but she thinks there's a slight blush on the brunette's cheeks. She smirks at the brunette before breaking eye contact. She definitely enjoys teasing the shorter girl. Score for Fabray. Zero for Berry.

Mercedes stares at Sam curiously as he walks towards the back of the room. Sam gives her a shy smile and a small wave, and she smiles back at him. She's not sure about Sam. She thinks he's cute and funny at times. She admits that he's definitely a fine looking boy, but she barely knows him.

Puck is enjoying all the attention as he gives the girls his signature smug look. He clenches his arms a little bit to show off his muscles. A few girls cringe at his action, but he doesn't seem to notice.

Mr. Schuester walks in and breaks the awkward silence in the room that he is oblivious to. "So let's get started. We need to prepare for nationals. It's coming up in a few months, and we have to come up with a set list. We cannot afford to be…" He stops when he notices the new faces sitting in the back. "I see we have some visitors."

"Mr. Schue, Quinn, Sam, and Puck want to join the glee club." Brittany announces to the whole group.

"That's great. Welcome to the club, guys." Mr. Schuester perks up at the news because they really need more people to qualify for nationals. Even though they're preparing for nationals, there's no guarantee that they can compete if they do not get enough people to join the club.

They were able to compete at sectionals and regionals – and even managed to win – because they got a few students to agree to stand in the background during their performances, just for the sake of reaching the minimum required head count. However, those students refuse to do it more than once, and they're running out of people to ask.

"Wait. How do we know they can even sing? They might even be Sue's spies." Finn protests and gets up on his feet to make his point. Puck used to be his bro but not anymore, not after his girlfriend last year cheated on him with Puck. Even though that had happened a year ago, he still gets mad at Puck whenever they're around each other for too long, so they have stayed out of each other's way as much as possible.

Finn doesn't know the two new blondes, but he's seen them hanging with Puck, Santana, and Brittany. He noticed the blonde girl winking at Rachel when she entered the room, and he doesn't like it one bit. Yes, he and Rachel had broken up a few months ago, but he's confident that they're meant to be together, and she will come crawling back to him in no time.

"I believe Finn is right Mr. Schue." Rachel speaks up, and Finn beams at hearing Rachel agree with him.

"Every single person in the club had to audition; therefore, Puck, Sam, and Quinn must do the same. We will of course welcome them to the club regardless of how well or poorly they perform." The brunette explains to the group, and most of them nod their head in agreement.

"You're right, Rachel. Well then, do you have a song to perform for the group or do you need some time? You can always audition next week."

"We got it, Mr. Schue. We have something prepped." Puck replies for them, and they make their way to the front.

Sam and Puck grab a guitar each, while Quinn sits behind the drum kit, spinning the drum sticks between her fingers to get a better feel of the sticks. The boys tune the guitar by strumming a few strings here and there, and Quinn adjusts the cymbals to fit her reach.

Once they're ready, they perform the song by Billy Joel, Only the Good Die Young. Puck insists that they sing this song because it fits them. It's not sappy and showcases their instrument playing abilities and each of their voices very well. They take turn singing different parts.

Towards the middle of the song, Brittany gets on her feet and starts dancing towards the center of the room, dragging a reluctant Santana with her. The Latina eventually dances along with Brittany with a smile on her face, clearing enjoying herself, while some of the other glee club members join them in dancing as the new kids perform the song perfectly.

Quinn, Sam, and Puck finish the song amidst cheers and claps, except for a sulking Finn still sitting in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

"That was really good you guys. Welcome to the club. We could really use you. This may be the year we take nationals." Mr. Schue smiles wider at the high possibility that they may actually win or even place in the top five at nationals.

"Since we're like teammates now, you losers are all invited to my party this Saturday." Puck announces to everyone in the club.

Some of the glee clubbers get excited about party. They were never invited to any of Puck's parties at all. They've heard that Puck's parties are the best in town, and all the cool and popular kids are there. They cannot wait to be part of it this time. Others are wary and unsure because it can very well be a trap for a major prank that will humiliate them, but they definitely cannot pass up a chance to attend one of these parties.

* * *

The party is well underway when Sam and Quinn arrive at Puck's. The house is packed with familiar and unfamiliar faces. Most of the kids they recognize as jocks and cheerleaders, while a few somehow look out of place, like the glee kids.

Quinn can see Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, and Rachel huddled in corner of the living chatting with each other, holding red solo cups that are probably filed with alcoholic drinks. She can tell that they're not used to the drink because they cringe once their lips touch the liquid, but they're forcing themselves to take little sips anyway.

Puck comes out of nowhere holding a cup in each hand, and handing them to Quinn and Sam, which the two blonde happily accept.

"Welcome to casa le Puck where all your dreams come true. Help yourself to whatever and remember… if the doors closed, find another room." Puck winks, saunters away, and disappears somewhere in the crowded house.

Sam spots Mercedes in the living room, and he chugs down his cup of strong mixed drink. He tosses the cup in an overflowing trash bin beside them, and wipes his mouth with his shirt sleeve. "Wish me luck, sis. I'm going pull all my moves on Mercedes."

Quinn pats him on the back to send him on his way. "Stay strong, bro."

Quinn goes into the kitchen to toss her drink out. She's not planning on drinking tonight because she promised Grammy that she'll stay sober so she can safely drive home. Grammy allowed them to stay out late tonight and threatened to ground them for life without a phone, car, TV, and video games if they ever get into a fight or get arrested tonight. That was enough to take Grammy seriously.

Grammy can be really scary when she wants too. The sweet little old lady attitude disappears when you cross her. Underneath all the sweetness and politeness is a wild and fierce woman that can break you into pieces with her words and glares. She may be old but she can still no doubt make people pee their pants in fear.

The blonde grabs a new cup and pours mountain dew into it. She and Sam agreed that she will be the designated driver tonight, so Sam can have some fun, and the next party they go to, Quinn will get to have her fun.

Brittany skips into the kitchen and hugs Quinn as soon as she sees her. "You made it, Q. Let's go dance." She pulls the shorter blonde into the makeshift dance floor in the living room without waiting for an answer.

The music is blaring loudly to an upbeat song and the cousins are dancing gleefully, having fun and laughing at each other's dance moves. Of course, Brittany always beats Quinn when it comes to dancing but Quinn's not bad either. A few minutes later, Santana shows up and wraps her arms around Brittany's torso and they start grinding with each other.

Quinn shakes her head at the sight, and moves away from the distracted couple. She decides it's time to get some air. Before she can get far, some random girl starts dancing with her a little too closely from behind. She spins around to see who it is and it's some girl she's seen in school – one of the cheerleaders. She doesn't know her name but she's cute, so Quinn forgets about getting some air and moves with the girl.

They are dancing for a while and it is getting hot. The blonde Cheerio moves her face closer to Quinn's ears and whispers seductively over the loud music, "let's get out of here and have our own fun in private." She pulls away and gives the blonde a sexy wink.

Quinn smirks and nods in response. It's been a while since she's scored, since that last party that got her and Sam ending up in Lima. She never actively seeks out any girl. They always come to her, and tonight's no different. Not one to decline such an offer, she allows the girl to pull her away from the dancing crowd.

As they were walking through the hallway towards the stairs, she sees a tall figure towering over a shorter one at the corner of her eyes. She's not sure why but she turns to have a better look, and she finds a red-faced Finn towering over Rachel. The brunette looks like she wants to get away from him, and she makes a move to leave, but he grabs her wrist preventing her from going anywhere.

Quinn sees a flash of panic in the brunette's eyes as she tries but fails to shake her wrists off of the taller boy's strong grip. This spurs Quinn into action and she pulls her hand away from the cheerleader and darts towards where Rachel and Finn are standing.

The cheerleader frowns and calls out to Quinn, but Quinn doesn't hear it because her focus is on the lumbering oaf and her chemistry partner.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Quinn draws their attention.

"None of your business." Finn spats at her, angry at the intrusion. He turns his attention back to Rachel again. "Come on, Rach. You know you want me. Stop playing hard to get."

Rachel flinches as he tightens his grip on her wrist. Finn is obviously drunk at this point.

"Doesn't look like, Rachel, wants to do anything with you and your man boobs, asshole." The blonde taunts him, hoping that he'll take his attention away from the brunette and he'll let her wrist go.

It works. Finn instantly releases Rachel's wrist, and then launches at Quinn, but she is sober enough to quickly get out of his, and he crashes into the snack table, spilling all the items on the table to the ground. He manages to steady himself with both hands on the table. He spins around to face the blonde again and growls angrily.

Quinn stands in front of the brunette, effectively blocking Finn from the smaller girl. She promised Grammy not to get into a fight, but she figures this can be excusable. She'll worry about the consequences later. Right now, she just has this strong urge to protect the smaller girl behind her. She knows that he's going to go at them again and she's ready for him this time, clenching her jaws and fists.

Finn's about to launch at her again when Puck stands in his way with both hands to his chest, pushing him backwards. He stumbles back, the table keeping him from falling on his ass.

"Stand back, dude. I think you need a break." Puck warns the tall quarterback.

"Get the fuck out of my way." Finn yells and throws a clumsy punch at Puck, which the mohawked easily dodges.

Finn's state of intoxication is making his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Puck roughly pushes him back again and he hits the wall behind him. Before he can attack again, a few of his football teammate show up and hold him down as he struggles to free himself from their strong hold.

"Take him out of here." Puck tells his teammates, and they drag him out of the room kicking and screaming like a girl.

"You girls alright?" Puck asks as he turns to the two girls, concern lacing his features. He may act like a total bad-ass and jerk, but he really does care about his friends.

"We are fine, Noah. Thanks." Rachel answers for the two of them, and Quinn just nods in agreement to what the brunette is saying.

Puck looks at both of them, making sure they are really ok. Seeing that they're unharmed, he grins, "Cool. Imma go back to my thing then. Someone's waiting." He wiggles an eyebrow and then sprints up the stairs.

Rachel shakes her head at how quickly Puck can turn from protecting women to almost objectifying them. She unconsciously rubs her sore wrist where Finn had a tight hold on not too long ago. She turns to the blonde standing quietly beside her who's eyeing her closely and her wrist.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Quinn cautiously asks, pointing to Rachel's wrist.

"No, he didn't. Thank you for stepping in, Quinn." Rachel replies with a small smile. She's suddenly feeling shy, and she's never shy around the blonde. She concludes it must be the little bit of alcohol she had consumed earlier that is now affecting her emotions.

"Don't mention it."

They stand awkwardly beside each other, glancing at each other and at random things around them, unsure of what else to say.

Someone tugs at Quinn's arm, pulling their attention to that person. "I think it's time for our fun to start." The cheerio appears next to Quinn, wrapping her hand around her arm, giving her a seductively smile. She doesn't like being ignored, but she really thinks the blonde is hot, and decides to give her another chance.

Rachel frowns at the flirty cheerleader, and Quinn looks uncomfortable. The blonde rubs the back of head with her hand nervously, as the two girls stare at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Uumm…"

Rachel decides it's time to make an exit because she's not sure what she's waiting or hoping for. "Anyway, I shall leave you to it. Thank you again, Quinn." She forces s smile and walks away.

Quinn stares at Rachel's retreating form, and the cheerleader tugs her arm again, pulling her attention back to the girl beside her. She looks back at Rachel who's disappearing in the crowded living room, then back at the cheerleader. She makes a decision on how she wants to spend her night.

"Not tonight. Sorry." She pries her arm off the girl's grip, sending her an apologetic look. She even surprises herself that she's declining sex for something else. She doesn't even know what that something else is yet.

The cheerleader scowls at her, but Quinn doesn't give her a chance to say anything, as she sprints to where she last saw Rachel. She quickly finds her putting her coat on near the front door.

"Rachel." She calls out to her as she moves closer.

Rachel looks up and is puzzled to see Quinn jogging to her. She's pretty sure the blonde should be having the time of her life with that slutty cheerio by now.

"You're leaving?" Quinn asks her, grabbing her own jacket from the coat closet.

"Yes. I think it is time for me to call it a night."

"Uumm.. ok. Do you have a ride?" Rachel realizes that her ride is Kurt, but he's nowhere to be found.

The last time she saw him, he was dancing with Blaine, and he's probably still with Blaine. She's sure that he will not appreciate getting interrupted right now. It is already midnight and she doesn't know if she can call her fathers to pick her up. She calculates how long it will take for her to walk home from Puck's – about 15 minutes – but she surmises that it may not be a good idea to walk alone in the dark.

Quinn takes Rachel's lack of response as a negative answer and offers her a ride. "I'll drive you home."

Rachel is surprised to hear Quinn's offer, but hesitates. She wonders if the blonde is sober to drink. Everyone in the party had some amount of alcoholic drink, and she's positive the blonde is the drinking type.

Quinn notes the brunette's hesitation and reassures the brunette. "I didn't drink tonight. I'm the designated driver, and I'm a fairly safe driver. I promise I have never run over a pedestrian before." Quinn teases, hoping to ease the brunette's apprehension.

Rachel relaxes at the teasing and grins, "I was not at fault at all. It was the pedestrian's disregard of the law that caused the unfortunate incident."

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Berry."

"I only speak the truth, Fabray."

Quinn scoffs, but then remembers something she needs to do. "Oh hey, give me a minute. I'll be right back." She runs off to find Sam, and spots him playing flip cup with Puck. It looks like Puck's done with whatever girl. That was fast.

"Hey Sammie. I'm going to head home right now."

"What? Why? Aren't you having fun? I thought I saw you go upstairs with that blonde chick."

"Nah, not in the mood for that tonight." Quinn dismissed, continuing, "I have to take Rachel home."

"Rachel?" Sam asks, racking his mind trying to remember if he knows someone named Rachel.

"Yea.. so will you be ok?"

"Oooh.. Right. Right. Make sure to wear protection." Sam smirks when he concludes that it's most likely another one of Quinn's conquests.

"What? Nooo.. it's not what you think. I really am just dropping her to her house, and I'm heading home to sleep." Quinn tries to clear her brother's misunderstanding.

"Sure. Whatever you say, sis." Sam answers, still not believing his sister, but decides to let it go. "Puck. Can I just stay over tonight?"

"Sure, man. There's plenty of room."

Sam turns back to his sister, "I'll stay over and you can just pick me up tomorrow or something."

"Ok. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, sis. You go have fun with Rachel." Sam gives his sister a thumb up and a wink, and goes back to his flip cup game with the guys.

Quinn is about to argue but decides against it. There's no point in arguing with an already drunk Sam. She sighs and heads back to where Rachel is waiting for her.

"Ready to go?" She asks the girl who's still standing where she left her a minute ago,

The brunette nods, and Quinn holds the front door for Rachel, letting her walk out first, and then leading the way to her jeep. She helps Rachel get in the passenger seat by offering her a hand, which the brunette accepts. Rachel settles in her seat and puts her seatbelt on, giving the blonde a smile of thanks, as Quinn closes the jeep door for her.

"Soo.. Uuumm.. Are you hungry? I was wondering if you want to grab something to eat before going home, but you don't have to if you don't wanna, and I can just take you home..." Quinn asks nervously as she settles in the driver seat. She's hungry and doesn't want to go home yet. She definitely doesn't mind spending a little bit more time with the brunette.

"That is actually a great idea, Quinn. In fact, I'm a little hungry. There's a diner that has a few vegan items on their menu, and they're open 24 hours. It's about 15 minutes from here." Rachel stops the blondes rambling. In the short time that she's known the blonde, she's never heard her rambling nervously. It's been an odd night.

"Great. Tell me where to go then." Quinn beams at Rachel's response, and she starts up the jeep.

* * *

"I'm glad we left the party. This is so much better than all the silly teenage drunkenness." Rachel states as she happily munches on her Tofu salad.

Quinn is stuffing herself with a large bacon cheeseburger and fries. She's definitely hungry and Rachel tries not to cringe at all the greasy meat the blonde is devouring.

The taller girl says something with a mouth full of food, and Rachel can't understand what she is saying. The brunette chuckles at the blonde as she tries to chew and swallow faster, so she can talk clearer. The blonde looks like adorable chewing quickly a mouthful of food, her cheeks protruding with the big bites she took a few seconds ago.

Quinn gulps down half a glass of soda, and apologizes. "Sorry, I'm just really hungry." She slightly blushes from embarrassment. If her mother is here, she will probably smack her on the back of her head for her lack of manners.

Rachel gives the girl sitting across from her a reassuring smile. "No need to apologize, Quinn." Then she inquires curiously. "What is it like growing up and living in New York?"

New York is her dream, and she's definitely moving there as soon as she graduates, but a part of her is nervous about moving to big city that's so unlike Lima. Her dads took her to New York several times for vacation but living there 24x7 is a different story.

Quinn shrugs. "I guess it's good. I don't know. I think it's just like growing up and living in any other city except that it's New York. More crowded, noisier, busier."

"Surely there's more to it than that."

"True, there's more to it. There are a lot of things happening, so there's always something to do."

"I will be moving there after graduation, and I cannot wait." The brunette reveals.

"Why New York?" Quinn asks curiously. Of all places to choose from, she wonders why the brunette is dead set on New York. There are plenty of other really nice places to move to like sunny California or the Hawaiian paradise.

"Because I'm going to be on Broadway one day soon." Rachel confidently states without a shred of doubt in her voice and face.

"Really now? What makes you so sure?" Quinn playfully baits. Since the first time they met, the other girl's been nothing but sure of herself, and she wants to know more about the other girl.

"Oh, you haven't heard me sing and haven't seen me perform on stage, so I understand your skepticism."

"I know you're in glee club, so you do at least enjoy singing."

"I am very good at what I do."

"Prove it."

"Well, you will just have to wait and see." The brunette's tempted to show off in front of the blonde right where they are, but she reins herself in. She's been told that she's overly eager to a fault, and she knows better now that there's a right place and time for everything. Tonight, in a diner, is not the right place and time for an impromptu performance.

"I can hardly wait." The blonde jibes. She really does want to hear Rachel sing. Brittany and Puck had mentioned in passing that Rachel's one of the best singers they've heard, so she's curious to see and hear for herself.

They finish their midnight dinner talking about everything, and the conversation flows smoothly. It isn't strained and never an awkward moment. They playfully bicker a few times, but both girls are enjoying themselves as, if not more so than, staying at the party.

Quinn sneakily pays for both of their meals, and when Rachel finds out, she tries to pay the blonde back for her salad and drink, but the blonde refuses, telling her, "You can buy me dinner next time." Rachel eventually concedes and makes mental note to repay the blonde with dinner one day soon.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading._


	5. Chapter 5

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I'm getting impatient with my own story. I just want to move things along quickly. I have to constantly remind myself to stay on track and let the story progress as realistically as possible. Thank you for sticking around. :) So any of you readers have plans for Valentine's Day? Anyone going to FaberryCon? Whatever your plans are, have fun and stay safe. :)_

_As usual, this is not beta-ed nor proofread. Mistakes are all mine, and do let me know if you find some so I can correct them. Thanks._

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I still do not own Glee, and if I did, I would probably still be watching it._

* * *

**[ Chapter 5 ]**

Rachel performs a song in glee club on Monday. Mr. Schue asks for volunteers to perform songs that they may consider for their national's set list, and as expected, the brunette raises her hand. She opts to sing a pop song instead of a song from a musical, and performs Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac.

Quinn is blown away. She can't help give all her attention to the singing girl and a wide smile involuntarily forms on her face. Rachel performs the song with so much energy that the blonde is enjoying herself watch the brunette perform. The shorter girl's good, really good. She now has no doubt that the girl's definitely going to make it with a voice like that.

Other glee clubbers perform their own songs, but in Quinn's opinion, Rachel's is the best out of all of them, but she probably will not admit it loudly. She's still reeling from the brunette's performance, when glee ends. She walks out the door and the brunette catches up to her, walking beside her.

"I told you I'm great." Rachel brags and gives the blonde a smug smile.

Quinn decides to play it down to tease the brunette, so she shrugs and nonchalantly states, "You were alright. Not bad."

The brunette gasps and abruptly stops walking beside her. She smirks, waiting for an outburst.

"Quinn Fabray, how dare you belittle my stellar performance and talent?" Rachel scolds with her arms on her hips, giving the blonde an icy glare. She cannot believe the blonde's indifference. She practiced all weekend and she's positive that her performance was flawless. She even saw a small smile on Santana's face during her number, and that's saying a lot coming from the normally grumpy and frowning cheerio.

Even her tormentors and bullies have verbally acknowledged that she can sing really well. Of course what little compliment she receives is always followed by a slur of insults. Regardless, they still recognize her talent. She's almost sure that Quinn had enjoyed her performance when she glanced at her a few times during that number. The blonde was smiling and nodding along to the beat of the song.

Quinn spins around to face the brunette and she chuckles at the sight before her. The brunette looks like a spoiled child who didn't get what they want.

As soon as Rachel Quinn's amused expression, she knows instantly that the blonde's been teasing her, and she's been had. She stomps her feet and crosses her arms on her chest. "Not funny, Fabray."

Quinn laughs even harder at the brunette. "You should see yourself."

"I take my craft very seriously, and I cannot be around someone who doesn't appreciate my gift." Rachel huffs and moves away from the blonde.

Quinn quickly grabs the brunette's arm to prevent her from leaving. "Duly noted, and I'm sorry. You're really great."

Rachel turns to glare at the blonde.

"I think you're awesome, and the best I've ever heard. Will you forgive me now?" Quinn goes for the brunette's ego, and does her best to look sad and gives her puppy dog eyes.

"Fine. You're forgiven, but I'm still mad at you." Rachel concedes, pointing a finger at the blonde to show her she's serious.

Quinn's sad face instantly turns into a wide smile, and the brunette shakes her head at the blonde, but a smile forces its way onto her face.

They are interrupted when a splash of blue hits Rachel in the face without any warning, drenching her hair and sweater with icy cold blue liquid.

"Blue looks really good on you, freak." A couple of football players tells the slushy covered brunette and laughs at her.

Quinn instantly sees green and spins to face the attackers. It's the same football player that slushied her last week and another football player. When he realizes that she is standing next to Rachel, he visibly flinches and slightly steps back, hiding behind his teammate.

Quinn clenches her fist and is about to jump at the football players, but a firm hand on her wrist stops her from attacking. She turns to see Rachel's hand around her wrist with a pleading look on her face.

Rachel remembers what Quinn did to Karofsky last week, and she doesn't want the same thing to happen. She hopes the blonde will stay calm this time. "It's ok, Quinn. Just let it go."

Rachel's soft pleading voice keeps Quinn still, and as much as she wants to punch the hell out of the football players for slushying Rachel, she cannot deny the brunette's plea. She takes deep breaths to dissipate her raging anger.

The football players take this opportunity to walk away from the two girls, and Karofsky bravely spits out another insult at them, "loser," and his teammate high fives him, laughing all the way down the hall.

Quinn growls at the insult and the football player's arrogance, but she remains unmoving. She finally gives the brunette a look of concern, and Rachel replies to her unvoiced question.

"I'm quite alright, Quinn. This is nothing out of the ordinary and as unfortunate as it sounds, I am actually used to this, and I'm prepared."

Quinn frowns at the Rachel's revelation. She vaguely remember the brunette telling her that she's an expert in slushy clean-up but it never registered until now, seeing the brunette actually get slushy right before her eyes. No one should get use to this at all, especially not Rachel.

The singer goes to her locker with Quinn following behind her. She opens her locker and grabs a clean towel, wiping the slushy stains off as best as she can. "Since it's already the end of the day, I will just head home and take a shower to clean off the slushy."

"Do you need a ride home?"

Rachel shakes her head. "I drove to school today, so I'll be fine. I appreciate the offer."

Quinn nods in response, concern still lacing her features, but the brunette can also see flashes of anger that the blonde is obviously trying to conceal and push down.

"Quinn, promise me you won't retaliate."

"What?" Quinn's surprised at the singer's request. She's already planning on how to make Karofsky pay, but she's not sure how the brunette even knows what she's already plotting in her mind.

"I don't want you to get into trouble. They're not worth it."

Quinn looks at Rachel blankly, not really sure what to say. She doesn't want to lie to her, because Rachel can obviously tell what she's thinking, but she also doesn't want to make a promise she cannot keep. She knows that she'll make Karofsky and his band of goons pay one way or another. Maybe not right now, but she'll make them pay some day.

Rachel sighs at the blonde's lack of response, but decides to let it go. She can clearly see the blonde struggling with her request and she doesn't want to force the blonde into anything. She doesn't want to push the girl away when they're just starting to become friends. She's been told numerous times that she's very pushy, bossy, demanding, and high-maintenance.

"I'm going to head home and take that refreshing shower. Walk me to my car?" Rachel decides to change the topic to lighten the mood. "And it would be lovely if you can also carry my backpack for me. I just bought it last week and I don't want slushy stains on it." She gives Quinn a toothy beam.

"So demanding." Quinn relaxes a little bit. She teases the brunette, and cannot help the smile on her face when she says the words. She takes Rachel's backpack anyway and slings it on her shoulder as the two girls walk out of the school to Rachel's car, chatting about random things.

"Thank you, Quinn. I will see you tomorrow." Rachel gives Quinn a reassuring smile to let her know she's really ok and not to worry as Quinn carefully sets her backpack in the passenger seat of her car.

Quinn nods and watches the brunette go. As soon the girl's out of her sight, she goes to find Sam. He's waiting for her in the jeep. Sam notices Quinn's bad mood right away. He knows his sister well enough to know what she's feeling most of the time.

"What's up, sis?" He cautiously inquires.

"We need to take care of that football player from last week." Quinn grumbles, jumping into the driver seat of the jeep and turning the car on.

"Was he stupid enough to mess with you again?" Sam can't believe that the football player isn't scared enough to stay away. Anyone else will have been smart to keep their distance from the blonde after that experience.

"He slushied Rachel." Quinn simply replies without thinking. Her minds' already running a hundred miles per second coming up with a plan and imagining scenarios where the football player is knocked out in the end.

Sam curiously asks. "Rachel?" It's the same name he vaguely remembers from the party.

"We can't get him right now because we have to be smart about this. We can't afford any more trouble, but he'll definitely pay sooner or later when the time is right." Quinn isn't listening to her brother and continues to ramble on.

"So is this the Rachel in glee club?" Sam pries because he really wants to know who this girl that's got his sister all protective like this.

"Yea, do we know any other Rachel's?"

"So you like her?"

"What? Nooo… Not like that. She's a friend, and I'm always protective of my friends, ya know that." Quinn's eyes widen in surprise at what her brother is implying, and she gets defensive.

"You're protective of family, sis, but rarely with friends because you don't trust other people easily." Sam states a matter-of-factly.

"And you totally know me, Doctor Sam." The blonde responds sarcastically. She doesn't like what Sam is implying, and she's definitely not interested in Rachel that way.

"I really do, and you know it. So this Rachel's special ha?"

"You don't know what you're talking about. I think mom dropped on your head too many times when you were a baby."

"Whatever you say, sis." Sam says with a smirk, letting Quinn know that he doesn't believe her, but he's willing to let it go for now.

* * *

Quinn quickly finds out that Rachel takes every opportunity she can get to show off her singing abilities. Perhaps, she just really loves to sing and that's why she takes every chance she can get to sing. She's pretty much singing at almost every glee club practice they have. She volunteers every single time.

Quinn also notices that this earns the brunette some animosity from the other glee club members. The blonde doesn't mind Rachel's over eagerness at all. She will rather listen to Rachel sing over anyone else in the club.

The glee club is growing on her, and she's actually enjoying herself. Sam is also making some progress with Mercedes, and he always looks so happy in the club, so she decides to stay in the club. She mostly stays in the back, swaying, and singing along, and she's fine with it. Her friends are all having fun in the club, including Puck, although he and Santana will never admit it out loud.

* * *

Puck and Sam are playing catch with a football, while Santana and Brittany are standing at the edge of the pond, tossing small pieces of bread into the water. Quinn is lying down on the grass with her hands behind her head, enjoying the nice weather at the park.

"Hey, Q. Get your lazy ass up and play ball with us." Puck calls out to Quinn.

Quinn pushes herself up on her elbows to see Puck holding football, and he looks like he's about to throw it straight at her. She raises an eyebrow to warn him not to do it. He smirks and throws it at her anyway. She rolls out of the way, the football barely missing her. She growls at Puck and gives him the middle finger.

Sam and Puck laugh at seeing the blonde covered with blades of grass from rolling out of the football's way.

Quinn gets up and grabs the football a few feet away and throws it hard at Puck's head, and he yelps in pain as it hits him on the side of his head. She hollers at his pained expression, and brushes the grass off her clothing and hair.

Puck rubs the side of his head with a pout. "That was mean, bro."

"Oh shut up, Puck. Your hard head can tots take it just fine." Santana mocks him as she and Brittany make their way back to where their bags are sprawled on the grass.

"Don't be mean, San." Brittany chastises the Latina, then turns to the mohawked teen, "Are you ok, Puck?"

"I will be ok if you would kiss it better?" Puck offers as he moves his head closer to Brittany.

Santana growls loudly, which causes Puck to take a few steps back. "Don't even think about it, man whore. Imma go all Lima Heights on you and you know it." She threatens as she pulls Brittany closer to her, and wrapping a protective arm around her.

"Come on, S. You know I'm just kidding." Puck chuckles nervously, keeping a good distance away from the Latina.

"Better be." Santana sneers at him, but calms down as Brittany slowly rubs circles on her back and giving her a knowing smile.

Brittany knows Santana can get very jealous, and she thinks it's really sweet of the Latina to be so protective of her. She just has to make sure her girlfriend doesn't go overboard. She knows exactly what to do to calm Santana down.

"So you girls up for a game of football?" Sam interrupts to change the topic. He really missed football, and he wants to play every chance he gets before he loses his touch. He's hoping he can get into the McKinley football team even though he's coming in mid-year.

Puck promises him that he'll take him to talk to their coach tomorrow, and maybe get a try-out next week. Sam is ecstatic about the possibility of playing in the team and he wants to make sure he's ready to show the coach what he's got.

"Oh, San. It'll be fun. Can we play?" Brittany says excitedly, and Santana nods even if she's not in the mood and will rather lie down on the grass.

Santana can hear a whipping sound beside her and sees Quinn mocking her, snapping her hand like she's holding a whip and adding in the sound effect.

Before the Latina can say anything, Sam jumps in again, turning to his sister, "You in, sis?"

"Sure. Why not?" Quinn shrugs. She hasn't played football in a while, and it's always fun playing with her brother.

"Cool. Let's go girls versus boys then. You three can play against me and my boy here. We'll try to not to be too rough on you little ladies." Puck adds, which makes Santana and Quinn frown.

"Oh, don't worry about us, bro. We'll be fine." Quinn replies with smirk as she and Santana look at each other, silently agreeing that they will not show any mercy on the boy. It's going to be war.

Quinn plays quarterback first and the three take turns after each round.

Brittany turns out to be really good with dodging blocks and is able to get through Sam and Puck by gracefully spinning around them like a well-orchestrated dance.

Quinn and Santana are just plain fierce and scary. They're growling like rabid dogs, which pretty much scare the boys away from them for most of the game. Santana actually tackles Puck down to the ground when he mistakenly stands in her way. He swears that his back is now permanently bent because of that attack.

It's clear that the girls are overpowering the boys and they win the game by a landslide. The boys don't even stand a chance at all.

Puck and Sam are groaning from the pain in random parts of their bodies and slump down on the grass in defeat, while the girls are high on energy from the win, giving each other high fives, completely rubbing their win on the boys' faces.

"Damn. I think I just broke my back." Puck whines as he presses a hand to his lower back that he can reach.

"I think I'm dying. Am I bleeding anywhere?" Sam complains dramatically, lying stock-still on the ground.

"Sheesh. Stop being so dramatic. You're being whiny babies." Santana dismisses them with a wave of hand.

"I didn't y'all could play like that. You should join the football team. We might actually win something with you three in the team."

"Nah, Britts and I already have cheerleading." Santana declines as she stretches her arms behind her back.

Quinn thinks about Puck's proposal and a thought comes to mind. "Remember that oaf I told you about that slushied Sam and I the first day?"

"Oh yea, I think that was Karofsky."

"He's in the football team right?" Quinn continues to question.

"Yup, he plays right guard." The mohawked-boy confirms, but he's not wondering why Quinn's asking about Karofsky.

"What are you thinking, sis?" Sam asks although he already has an idea of what Quinn's planning.

Playing in the team is best way to beat Karofsky up without getting into trouble, because players do get seriously hurt from such violent sports like football. It's all part of the game and accidents always happen in close contact sports like football.

"Why are you so deadest on beating Karofsky's ass? I know he's a complete jerk who's so far deep in the closet that I doubt he'd ever find his way out, but he did agree to be my beard last year." Santana knows about the slushy incident and she can understand Quinn's resentment, but the shorter blonde looks like he's done more than just slushy her.

"He sucks at guarding, so I don't mind beating his ass." Puck shrugs. He's always up for a fight, but he's been trying to stay away from it ever since his last stint in juvie. He swears never to go back again, and he's doing his best to keep a clean records, but if his bros have a good plan to let out some steam without getting arrested, then he's all for it.

"No one fucks with me and gets away with it." Quinn answers, hoping to satisfy the Latina's curiosity. There's really no other explanation. She just wants to get even, but Sam adds in his own unsolicited input.

"And Rachel too." Sam states without thinking, and he immediately gets a hard smack on the back of his head from Quinn, but everyone hears him loud and clear.

"Rachel?" Brittany asks confused how they go from talking about football to Rachel. Rachel did play football with the rest of the glee girls last year to help the football team out, and she wasn't that bad.

Santana stares at Quinn, studying her reaction, and groans at a realization. "Fuck no, Q. Of all the girls you can choose from in school, you have to pick the freaking hobbit?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, S." Quinn tries to brush off and look indifferent, but it only makes her sound defensive and obvious.

"Oh, Q. You wanna have sweet lady kisses with Rachel? That's so great. I think you would make a really cute couple. We can double-date or triple date with Sam and Mercedes too. And Puck can join in too but then he would have to get a date, and it'll be a foursome." Brittany happily exclaims, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Britts, no. I don't want to have sweet la.. uuhh… do that with Rachel. We're just friends. I don't think of her that way."

Puck's lost in his imagination as soon as he hears sweet lady kisses between Quinn and Rachel, and blurts out, "that's so hot." This earns him a football to the head and he yelps at the pain.

"Damn pervert." The shorter blonde grumbles as soon as the football leaves her hand.

"The friggin' hobbit, Q? Why?" Santana's still flipping from the revelation.

"There's nothing going on, and stop fucking calling her hobbit. Her name's Rachel."

"Oh shit, you totally have it bad." Santana shakes her head in resignation, clearing seeing proof of her friend's infatuation with the little diva.

"Dammit, I'm done with you assholes… not you Britts. I'm out of here." Quinn storms away from her friends in frustration. She doesn't know why people keep on assuming that she likes the brunette beyond friendship.

"You're going to need our help if you wanna win Rachel's heart, lesbro." Puck calls out to Quinn.

Quinn throws them the middle finger without looking back, stomping to the jeep and swiftly pulling away, leaving a trail of dust and dirt behind her.

"She's our ride." Sam states the obvious as Quinn disappears in the jeep.

"S, can you drop us off?" Puck hopefully asks the Latina.

"Nope, Britts and I are getting our mack on right now." Santana grabs hers and Brittany's bags, slinging them over her shoulder.

"How are we going to get home?"

"Use your legs." The Latina intertwines her fingers with the blonde and they move to the parking lot, leaving the boys behind.

"We're injured and in pain." Sam whines.

"Laterz assholes."

"Fuck."

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading._


	6. Chapter 6

**_Author's Notes:_**

_What did you all think about the Quinntana scenes in the last Glee episode? I haven't watched Glee in a while, but I just happen to be at the gym while Glee was on, and I ended up watching it. Quinn is definitely gay._

_I don't know too much about skateboarding, so please excuse my lame attempts on correctly naming tricks and my poor usage of skateboarding terminologies. Did I mention that I'm not a native English speaker? Thank you for your leniency and support. :)_

_This was written a little after 1am with a couple glasses of wine. Cheers. All mistakes are mine._

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I do not own Glee. If I do, there will be lots of scenes like the Quinntana ones except it will be Faberry._

* * *

**[ Chapter 6 ]**

"QUINNIEEEEE, wake up!"

A loud voice yelling from outside of Quinn's bedroom jolts her from her deep slumber. She sits up and looks around her room for any obvious reason as to why she's awake. There is no intruder, no fire, no pre-planned trips or events to go, nothing she can think of in her sleep hazed mind.

She's a little disoriented and checks the alarm clock that's sitting on the bedside table. It reads 6:00am. She grumbles at being waken up this early on a Sunday. She doesn't even get up this early during school days.

She lays back down and pulls the cover over her body, trying to go back to sleep. She's half-asleep when a spray of cold water hitting her face disrupts her rest.

"What the fuck?" Quinn curses, shooting up to a seated position.

"Watch you language, young lady." Grammy scolds her as she's towering over the sleepy and grumpy blonde and holding an empty glass in her hand.

"Grammy? What's going on?" The young blonde rubs her eyes, clearly confused.

"You kids are going to help me out at the orphanage today, so get out of bed and get ready."

"Orphanage?" Quinn wonders. She's been in Lima for over a month now and never once did Grammy mention going to an orphanage.

"We leave in 30 minutes. Hurry up before I toss a bucket of ice cold water on you."

Quinn shivers at the memory of being doused in icy cold water when she was 13 and refused to get out of bed for some event Grammy wanted her to attend, and she instantly jumps out of bed. She runs to the en suite bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Grammy chuckles at her granddaughter's haste. She walks down the hall to the next bedroom, yelling loudly, "SAMMIEEEEE, wake up."

* * *

Quinn is munching on her crunchy bacon strips and scrambled eggs and taking big gulps of her black coffee. A cheerful Brittany is sitting beside her, finishing her own breakfast of lucky charms with milk.

Santana is sitting across from Brittany looking grumpy as usual and gulping down a large cup of coffee. She stayed over last night, which she now realizes was a bad choice, because she's up at an ungodly hour on a Sunday. If they stayed at her place instead, they will still be comfortably sleeping in her warm bed right now.

Sam comes trudging down the stairs looking miserable, and Quinn feels for him. If not for the bacon and coffee, she will also be just as unhappy right now. Thankfully, Grammy is prepared and knows how to perk up the grandchildren.

Sam feels better after a hearty breakfast and coffee, and they are on their way to the local orphanage about 30 minutes away from the house. Quinn is sitting in the back with Brittany and Santana, while Sam rides shotgun. Brittany is cheerfully telling Santana stories about Lord Tubbington, while Sam is already snoring loudly in the front seat.

Quinn knows that Grammy does a lot of volunteering and philanthropy work, and Sam, Brittany, and Quinn went with Grammy a few times when they were younger, but that all stopped when they became teenagers. It's been awhile since she's done anything like this and she's actually excited to be doing it again.

The orphanage looks cozy and clean. It looks like a small school and appears quite inviting. Quinn, Santana, and Sam follow behind Grammy and Brittany, passing by a few rooms with children in different age groups. Some of them are playing games with each other. Others are quietly listening to an adult tell them a story. A few are working on arts and crafts projects.

"You're in there, Quinnie. Have fun and I'll see you later." Grammy instructs Quinn, pointing to one of the room full of active children and leaving her behind as they move along.

Quinn slowly walks into the room trying not to disrupt the children who are focused on the person standing in the center and is animatedly telling them a story. She's actually surprised to find out that the storyteller is none other than, Rachel. The children are so enthralled and captivated that they do not notice Quinn entering the room.

Rachel is recounting a classic fairy tale story to the children and she's going all out with it – full of sounds affects and voice changes for the different characters, arm and hand gestures and facial expression to display emotions. She's giving them a full performance, and the children are not disappointed at all. They always enjoy story telling time with Rachel.

"And they live happily ever after…" Rachel finishes with the signature fairy tale ending and the children cheer and clap with approval.

"We want another story." One of the kids asks.

"Rachel, can you tell us another one? Please?" Another one pleads.

"Maybe in a little bit. Let's have some snacks first." Rachel replies and at the mention of snacks, their attention is moved away from storytelling to food.

The two other adults in the room start handing out small packs of biscuits and fruits to the eager little ones.

Rachel notices the figure standing in the back of the room near the door and her eyes light up in surprise at seeing the familiar blonde. She's been volunteering at the orphanage for years, but rarely sees any of her schoolmates in here. She saw Brittany with Grammy a few times, and even saw Santana once before, but they were always assigned to a different room from her.

She approaches the blonde who looks lost and unsure of what she's supposed to do.

No one has given Quinn any instructions on what to do or what task to assist with. She doesn't want to just assume and jump into anything without making sure. Grammy should have given her something more than just, you're in there, and maybe she should have asked. She contemplates sneaking out since no one has notice her presence yet.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Fabray."

"Me neither." Quinn replies indifferently, scratching her plan to sneak out now that the brunette knows she's here. She's also still a little tired from the early morning wake-up call, so she's having a hard time portraying a cheerful demeanor right now.

"Are you always this chipper in the mornings?" Rachel comments sarcastically.

"Oh I'm usually bouncing up and down the wall earlier than this." Quinn rolls her eyes at the brunette replying in kind.

"I highly doubt that from the looks of it."

"Grammy dragged us out of bed at such an ungodly time, but I guess I'll make the most out of this." The blonde sighs, revealing the reason why she's here.

Rachel gives Quinn a comforting smile. She is a morning person and is usually out of bed by 6am and working out on her elliptical, but she also understands that most people are not early risers like her.

"You can help hand out the beverages with me." Rachel offers.

"Ok, I think I can manage that."

Quinn follows Rachel to where the beverages are sitting. They each grab a box and walking to each table, they start giving a box of juice to each child.

Rachel continues to give Quinn instructions on what to do and normally, the blonde will get really annoyed and offended at being told what to do, but surprisingly, she doesn't mind in this situation. The children are just really adorable and are keeping her mood light and happy.

During free play, Rachel witnesses a completely different side of Quinn as she happily plays with the children. She's chasing them around, pretending to be a monster as the children run away from her screaming and laughing. She's carrying some of the younger ones, flying them around like an airplane or a bird, and running around with them sitting on her shoulders.

Quinn looks so happy and carefree, a stark contrast from her school persona. The blonde is usually indifferent, frowning all the time, and has a short temper, but this is a completely different Quinn. She's laughing freely and the joy actually reaches her eyes. Rachel feels honored to witness this side of the blonde.

Quinn looks up to meet the diva's eyes and catches her looking at her. She gives the diva a wink and a smile, which makes the diva blush.

Quinn is also seeing a different side of the brunette. This Rachel is patient, kind, nurturing, and caring unlike the loud, obnoxious, demanding, and bossy diva in school.

Rachel is patiently listening to the children's stories. She's teaching them some new songs and listening to them sing, never once interrupting them with harsh comments about their lack of skill like she often does in glee club. She's encouraging and lavishing the kids with kind words and compliments.

Quinn is staring at the brunette a little too long with a dopey smile on her face when a small hand pulls at her own to get her attention. She looks down to see one of the boys she's helping pointing to a painting he's doing.

"Quinn, can you help me pwease?"

"Yea, little man."

After a few hours, Rachel and Quinn converge together at the craft table, putting materials away and cleaning up the mess that the children left behind. A comfortable silence falls upon them as they finish with the clean-up.

"Do you come here a lot?" Quinn finally speaks up.

"Once a month."

"Can I come with you next time?"

"Of course."

They finish cleaning up, but Quinn doesn't want to leave yet, so she tinkers around with a few pens and crayons, organizing them by color. She catches Rachel watching her with an amuse expression, and they hold each other's eye, gazing for longer than necessary.

"Yo Q. What's happenin'?" Santana greets, breaking the spell between the two girls. She raises an eyebrow at what she just saw.

"Uuhh… just cleaning up, S." Quinn tries to explain without sounding suspicious. Technically, nothing is going on, so she doesn't know why she's suddenly nervous as if Santana just caught her in a compromising position, which she didn't.

"You sure that's all you're doing. Looks to me you and the midget were eye fucking each other." Santana baits without filter, smirking at the flushed blonde and brunette.

"Santana, watch your language. There are children in the room." Rachel scolds, pointing to the children who really aren't paying any attention to them at all.

"Whatevs. We'll wait for ya outside, Q. Hurry up. I'm hungry." The Latina dismisses and leaves the room, leaving the two alone.

Quinn turns back to Rachel. "Uhh.. I guess I gotta go, so I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Rachel nods with a smile. "Have a good rest of the day, Quinn."

Quinn heads out but looks back before leaving the room and hesitantly gives Rachel a quick wave goodbye, which the brunette returns.

* * *

Quinn is taking her books out of her locker when Rachel approaches her.

"Quinn, we need to work on our chemistry report. It's due next week."

"We have time." Quinn shrugs it off. She's not worried about the class. She's doing well and she's positive that the brunette is acing the class as well.

"We need to do it soon. I do not do last minute, and I will get an A in this class with or without your help." Rachel demands. Even though she's already doing well, she doesn't want to take her chances. Things can still go wrong and she may still not get her A, and that is just not acceptable.

"Fine. When do you want to work on it?" Quinn gives us with frustrated sigh.

"This Saturday afternoon would be best. I would be done with my dance class by then."

"I can't do Saturday."

"Why?"

"I'm busy."

"What could be much more important than our grades, Quinn? This will determine our futures, whether we end stuck in Lima or if we get to leave." Rachel knows she's exaggerating but she wants to make a point. She is not wrong though because good grades will allow them a bigger pool of colleges to choose from.

"I just can't ok. What about Sunday?"

"What are you doing on Saturday?" Rachel pries because now she's curious. She wants to know what Quinn does outside of school other than hanging out with the usual gang, but she will never admit that to the blonde.

"You're tenacious."

"While I'm surprised and impressed that you know that word and can properly use it in a sentence, I am your friend and friends ask each other what their plans are. My inquiries are within the appropriate social parameters of friendship."

"Fine. I have a skateboarding competition to go to."

"Skateboarding?"

"Yes, you know a flat board with four wheels..?" Quinn explains half-serious and half-sarcastic. She hopes that Rachel isn't that clueless about skateboarding because that will be a total turn off, not that it will matter because she's not interested in her that way.

"Quinn, do not patronize me. I'm well aware of what a skateboard is. I just didn't know you compete." The brunette scolds, resting her hands on her waist.

"There are a lot of things you do not know about me, Berry, including the fact that I have impeccable vocabulary."

"Can I watch?" Rachel ignores the blonde's bait, and goes for the question she really wants to ask. She asks it hesitantly because she doesn't want to seem too eager or clingy.

"What?" The blonde is surprised that Rachel is remotely interested in something that has nothing to do with performing, singing, dancing, or academia.

"I want to watch you compete." Rachel clarifies.

"Really?" Quinn studies the brunette to see if she's joking, but the brunette looks serious and determined.

"Yes, I feel that I need to expose myself to other aspects of culture beyond what I'm familiar with if I want to become a better actress and performer." The shorter girl justifies her interest to the blonde, even though it isn't necessary, but she wants to emphasize that her intention is to learn about the skateboarding culture and not the blonde skater.

"Oh kay. I'll text you the address and time." Quinn raises a brow but gives in, still unsure about the brunette wanting to go to a skateboarding event. It doesn't seem like her type of event or crowd.

"Great. I will see you then." Rachel beams at the blonde finally giving in. She walks away towards her next class.

Quinn watches Rachel walk away. She is wearing her sinfully short skirt, which Quinn highly appreciates, animal print sweater, knee-high socks, and flats. Although she's fine with the shorter girl's outfit, she realizes that the outfit will make her stick out like a sore thumb at a skateboarding event.

"And Berry, please wear appropriate clothing." Quinn calls out to the brunette.

Rachel stops and turns to address the blonde. "What do you mean? Are you implying that my clothing choice is not appropriate for such an event?" She looks down at what she's wearing, wondering what is wrong with it.

"It's not, but whatever. Forget I said it. Wear whatever you want. I'll see you then." Quinn decides to let it go, because arguing with Rachel on appropriate fashion for specific events will probably take another hour of her life. She heads out to her own classroom, leaving a puzzled and pondering brunette.

* * *

Quinn is working on some simple tricks to warm up and stretch for the competition.

It's not a big competition. It's just something local that the people at the skate park put together for fun, but there are skaters from other surrounding cities in the competition today. These skaters are hoping to go pro and need the visibility and wins to get there; even small local competitions and scrimmages can help.

There's no vert competition for women but since this is just a local scrimmage, they allow women and men to compete against each other skateboard vert. Quinn prefers it over the street course, so she's excited to be able to compete in it.

From what she can see during the practice and warm up rounds, her competitors aren't as great as the previous ones she's done back in New York, but there's enough talent and skill to make this contest exciting for her.

Rachel arrives a little bit later than she planned. Her dance practice went longer and she took a little bit longer time to get dressed. Quinn's words worried her, and she opted to wear something different from her usual school outfit. She consulted a street wear website to assist her in dressing for this occasion. She hopes she made the right decision.

So far, no one has thrown an insult at her clothing choice and no slushies thrown at her yet. Although she doubts anyone will be throwing slushies at her right here, but she can't help be a little paranoid from years of slushy attacks.

She navigates around the large crowd and manages to find an empty spot with a good view of the vert ramp. The competition has already started, but she is pleased to find out that she hasn't missed Quinn's turn when the announcer calls out Quinn's name as the next competitor up. She searches for Quinn around the ramp and her eyes finally land on the blonde at the very top of the ramp on the right side.

Quinn is adjusting her helmet and pads, making sure they're securely strapped to keep her from injuries. Once she confirms that they're all in place, she sets up to start her routine.

She jumps on the skateboard and pushes off down the ramp, skating down at a very rapid speed. She shoots off high off the ground on the other end and starts with a high front side air to set herself up and get momentum, then she follows it with a with a 360, then a kickflip indy, and goes for a few more tricks before her time is up.

Rachel holds her breath watching the blonde go up and down the ramp, spinning and flipping around in the air, doing seemingly gravity defying tricks with her skateboard. Every time it looks like Quinn's going to mess up, Rachel feels her heart skip a beat, fearing for the blonde's safety.

When Quinn is done, unharmed and safe, she relaxes a little bit and calms her rapidly beating heart. The blonde is good and she did really well. In fact, she places third and gets a small trophy for it.

Rachel gets up to meet the blonde somewhere. It takes her a little bit of time and effort to leave the seating area, but she manages to make it to the area with the tents and booths where she spots the Fabrays, Puck, and Santana. Quinn has her back to Rachel, but the rest of the group sees her.

Santana is surprised to see Rachel wearing something normal, and she has to admit, the brunette is looking really hot in her dark skinny jeans, plain white tight shirt, and chucks. At first glance, she will not have recognized the brunette if she doesn't take a second and closer look. Her clothes are showing off her perfect figure, especially those legs and backside.

"Rachel looks really hot." Brittany voices out what Santana is thinking in her mind, as Rachel makes her way to the group.

"I know right. My jew babe is looking delicious." Puck wolf whistles and he receives an angry glare from Quinn.

Quinn spins around to face the brunette and her breath hitches at the sight. The brunette is looking really sexy, and she's ogling her up and down from her long sexy legs to her firm stomach and perky breasts to her beautiful face and… She stops herself when Santana roughly slaps her back.

"Wipe the drool off your mouth, Q. It's not a pretty sight."

"Fuck you, S. I wasn't drooling." But she discreetly wipes her mouth with the back of hand anyway just in case, as Rachel gets closer to them.

"Hey. You were great out there, Quinn. Congratulations." Rachel gives Quinn a quick hug, and Quinn stiffens at the contact, but Rachel doesn't seem to notice as she pulls back and greets the others.

Brittany goes for a full body hug, pulling the shorter girl off her feet, as a greeting. She carefully sets the brunette down her feet. "We're going to grill some food at home after this. You should come with us. It will be fun." She cheerfully invites the brunette.

"I actually have to head home now since my daddy wants to have dinner with me tonight, but I will see you all in school tomorrow." Rachel is disappointed she cannot join them but her father insisted on a father-daughter bonding time before she left for the skate park. It's been a while since she's able to spend some quality time with her father. He's always been so busy with work, so she agrees to come right home after the competition.

Quinn is dejected that she will not be spending more time with the brunette, but she forces a smile anyway. "Yea, I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for coming, Rachel."

Rachel gives a quick wave of goodbye and walks away from the group, heading back to the parking lot. Quinn continues to stare at Rachel's behind, and she sees some random guy on his phone bumps into Rachel making the shorter girl stumble a little bit.

Quinn growls and is about to move towards Rachel to probably shove or punch the unlucky guy, but Santana grabs her arm to stop her from going there.

"Calm your tits, Q. She's fine. See?" Santana points out as the guy apologizes and walks away without any further interaction with the brunette and the brunette disappears into her car, driving away a few seconds later.

Quinn sighs and turns to her friends who are looking at her with knowing smiles.

"What?" She questions sharply.

"You're so into her." Puck reveals with a grin.

"No, I'm not." Quinn denies it without a doubt.

"Sis, you were ogling her the entire time. Practically drooling."

"You always feel the need to protect her. It's just like how San is with me." Brittany adds her own insight.

"You also get really jealous, mostly for no reason, like just now." Puck points out the obvious.

"You're so whipped." Santana remarks with a smirk, happy that she may not be the only one who's whipped and that she has something else to tease the blonde with.

"No, I'm not." The blonde continues to deny, giving each of them a murderous glare, which doesn't seem to affect anyone right now. Her glares are usually very effective in making others cower in fear.

"Yes, you are." Sam insists. There's really no denying it and he's determined to make his sister admit it.

"You've been talking about her a lot more than you do about other people."

"We're in glee club together and she's my chemistry lab partner, and we share a few classes together." Quinn justifies her behavior. It is a plausible reason. She practically spends most of her time with the brunette when she's not with the gang or Grammy.

"You have this goofy smile when she's around you…" Puck tells her, and from his lesbro's reaction, it doesn't look like she's aware of it.

"No, I don't."

Puck pulls out his phone, searches through some files, and shoves his phone in front of Quinn's face.

Quinn's eyes widen at the photo of herself with indeed a goofy smile and Rachel is standing beside her. The photo was obviously taken from a lower angle without Rachel and Quinn's knowledge or permission.

"See, I have proof." Puck smugly says pointing to the image on his phone that he had discreetly taken.

"Why do you a photo of Q and Rachel?" Brittany asks curiously, looking at the photo and frowning at the weird angle. She slightly tilts her head to the side to get a better view of the subjects in the photo.

Puck answers without thinking. "Honestly, I was trying to take a picture up Rachel's sinfully short skirt but I couldn't get my camera low enough to get a good sho… Ow." Puck rubs his head from where Quinn had smacked him really hard.

"Fucking pervert. I should kill you for this." Quinn growls.

"See, protective and jealous Quinn." Sam exclaims happily at the additional proof of her sister's infatuation with a certain brunette. He's definitely not going to let her continue with her denial this time.

Quinn thinks about it for a few minutes. The others are staring at her, anticipating the moment when she realizes the obvious. She blinks a few times, and she's about to speak a rebuttal but closes her mouth and blinks a few more times. She replays everything that's they've told her and recounts all her interactions and conversations with Rachel.

A few moments too long, her eyes widen and face falls as the truth finally dawns on her. "Fuck. I'm into Rachel fucking Berry."

"That's what we've been tryin' to tell ya." Puck says with a smug grin. It always feels good to be right. Now if only he can convince his lesbro and jew babe to let him see them hook up, but then he remembers getting tackled hard by the blonde during their football games at the park. He quickly scratches off that proposal, because he doesn't want to get hurt.

"Took you long enough to admit, PB. I might have puked in my mouth a little at the thought, but whatevs gets you hard, Q. I aint' gonna judge." Santana shrugs at the blonde, and that's as much of a support she can muster for her friend.

Quinn quickly checks her crotch to make sure there's nothing embarrassing happening down there and sighs in relief to find nothing. "What am I gonna do?" She whines at her dilemma of knowing that she likes the brunette but unsure of what to do about it. She's really not good with this relationship stuff.

"Simple. You ask her out." Brittany states.

"It's not that simple. I don't even know if I want ask her out or if she even wants to go out with me like that. I'm not good at this shit. How do you even ask someone out? What the fuck do people do on when they go out on like a date?" Quinn rambles, panicking.

"Sis, you're Quinn fucking Fabray. You're a stud. You're a confident, sure of yourself, arrogant asshole who can get any girl she wants. Stop whining."

Quinn looks at Sam blankly, blinking a few times, surprised at Sam's outburst. She should really be insulted at him calling her an asshole, but his intentions are in the right place. His words also pump her up and she gains a little bit of her confidence back. "Yeah. I'm Quinn Fabray. I can do this."

"Yea, yea. Whatever. I wants my barbeque now." Santana interrupts the motivational speeches. She's really hungry and she doesn't need to waste any more time with this lame conversation.

"We'll help you out, Q. Don't worry." Brittany encourages her cousin with a hug.

"For realz. You're gonna need Puckasaurus's help on this. I know my jew babe inside and out."

"That better not mean what I think it means coz I'm going to beat the fuck out of you if it means what I think it means." Quinn scowls at Puck. She doesn't like how that sounds.

"Nnnooo… I didn't mean it like that. I'm just sayin' that I've known Berry since we were kids back in Hebrew school. So I have inside knowledge... you know about her being a jew and all. You know what I mean?" Puck sputters nervously, trying to explain and calm the blonde.

Santana once again interrupts, demanding loudly, "Bitches, barbeque now!"

They scramble to grab their things, get to their respective cars, and head home. They have some barbequing to do, a hungry Latina to feed, and a skater to train on the art of dating.

* * *

It takes Quinn another week to drum up the courage to ask Rachel out.

They are sitting in Chemistry class working on their experiment. Rachel is concentrating on pouring the compound liquid from the test tube into a flask. Quinn is intensely staring at the brunette, not really caring about their experiment.

The liquid instantly turns into pink upon contact, and Rachel excitedly bounces up at the successful result of their experiment.

"Quinn, look. We did it. It worked." Rachel turns to Quinn with a wide smile.

Quinn clears her suddenly dry throat and looks at the liquid, giving Rachel an approving smile and nod. "Yea. Looks awesome."

"Let me write this down so we can submit our report." Rachel quickly scribbles some notes about the experiment.

"Go out with me." Quinn blurts out rapidly.

"What?" Rachel is taken by surprise and isn't sure she heard the blonde correctly.

"I said go out with me." Quinn swallows the lump on her throat and speaking clearly this time.

"Go out as in like a date?" Rachel looks at her still surprised at the blonde's invitation.

"Yea, a date."

Rachel thinks about it, studying the blonde, and she simply replies, "No, thanks."

"What? Why?" Quinn doesn't expect that, although she's played out different scenarios and has considered the possibility that the brunette may say no. Actually hearing her say is much harder to deal with, and she's still surprised but more hurt and disappointed.

"You can do better than that, Quinn. You need to ask me properly."

"Uuuhh… Ok. Rachel... uumm… will you go out on a date with me?" Quinn tries again, no longer confident after being rejected a few seconds ago.

"Nope."

"What? I asked you properly."

"I deserve to be wooed and courted. I want grand romantic gestures like in the movies and timeless love stories. Not that reluctant delivery that you just did. So no, Quinn. You need to do even better than that. I want to be sure that you really want to ask me on a date. Sweep me off my feet. Render me speechless. Bring tears to my eyes."

Rachel knows she's being too dramatic and demanding, but in her past relationships, she had settled for whoever was interested in her. Her ex-boyfriends never valued her and she was rarely treated with the care, love, and respect that she deserves. After her break-up with Finn because he cheated on her, she vowed to never settle for anything less than the best.

She decided then that she's going to be a strong independent woman who doesn't need anyone to feel happy and complete. If she's ever going to be in a relationship, it will be because she's truly wanted. She wants the best and she deserves the best, and she will no longer allow herself to just accept whatever or whoever comes along. She needs to be more selective in her choice of a mate.

She actually wants to say yes to Quinn and she has to use every will power she can conjure up to decline Quinn's invitation, but she stands her ground. She has to constantly remind herself that she's an independent strong woman who doesn't need a man... or in this case, a woman... to make her feel complete.

There's that uneasiness of dating a girl as well. She's always thought of herself as straight and have never dated the opposite sex or even considered it before Quinn. She surmises that she has some soul-searching to do to figure things out, especially with her situation with Quinn.

"You know what, forget it." Quinn's bruised ego and hurt make her lash out in defense which is her natural reaction, and she walks out of the classroom, leaving the brunette to shake her head in disappointment.

As soon as Quinn walks out of the classroom, she instantly feels bad about reacting to the brunette that way, but her pride isn't allowing her to go back and apologize to the brunette, so she continues walking.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's Notes:_**

_Still un-beta'd, but thank you to FormerGophers for offering to check my writing. I'm still holding you to it. I'll be messaging you once I get a more organized writing schedule._

_DarkBlueMint – PB is in reference to chapter 2 where Santana called Quinn, Punk Barbie (PB). Don't worry about teen pregnancy in this story. I'm not planning on it._

_KikiGottaLuvMe – Patience, my friend. They'll get together soon enough._

_Koukou-sei tantei – We'll definitely see jealous Rachel later on._

_xxEm'n'JJ4evaxx – Ah yes. Canon Rachel is obnoxious and demanding, but don't worry, all will work out for our favorite pair._

_w1cked & Emerald Stag – Karofsky will be dealt with soon._

_musicwolf89 – Indeed, patience I need. I have much to learn, master. ;)_

_To everyone else, thank you so much. You all are the best._

_**Disclaimer:** _

_I do not own Glee. I wish I did, but I don't. Maybe in another world. All mistakes are mine though._

* * *

**[ Chapter 7 ]**

Quinn has been effectively avoiding the brunette the rest of the week. She has been civil and polite whenever they interact because she cannot hide from the brunette the entire time. They still share a few classes, are partners in chemistry lab, and are in glee club together.

Rachel tries reaching out to Quinn so they can properly talk but the blonde always finds an excuse to be somewhere else. She's not ready to talk yet. The brunette eventually decides to give Quinn some space for now.

The brunette is being her adorable self most of the time, and it's making it harder for Quinn to avoid her. She really wants to ask Rachel out again but she's scared of another rejection, and she doesn't know what kind of grand gesture the brunette's asking for. She doesn't want to ask her for clarification either, so she does what she's good at, she runs away.

* * *

Rachel is studying in the library during her free period. She has an exam in about an hour. She's already prepared for the exam but she wants to review one last time just to make sure.

A Marc Jacobs messenger bag drops in front of her on the table and she glances up to find Kurt taking the seat across from her, and she knows that she will no longer be doing any more last minute reviewing.

"What is up with you and the ice queen?" Kurt asks bluntly, getting straight to the point.

"Ice queen?" Rachel has an idea who Kurt is talking about but she decides to play innocent.

"Blondie. Quinn Fabray." Kurt looks at her pointedly. He knows that's she's deflecting and delaying the inevitable conversation about the blonde.

"Oh. Nothing's going on. Why do you ask?" Rachel tries to focus back on her studying, but it's no use because she's already distracted with thoughts of a certain blonde.

Kurt quirks an eyebrow, not believing a word the brunette is saying. "Don't lie to me, diva. I can feel the tension between you two from all the way across the room."

Rachel sighs. She usually displays an air of confidence and arrogance in school as a means of self-preservation showing her bullies that they can never keep her down and she will not be defeated, so she holds her head high insult after insult and slushy after slushy, but with Kurt, she can be vulnerable because she trusts him. He's after all her best friend, so she spills everything to Kurt.

"Wait a minute. So she asked you out on a date and you said no?" Kurt cannot believe he's just hearing this right now, and he wants to know everything.

Rachel nods.

"Why? I mean, Quinn's a little rough on the edge and she seems so robotic and unfeeling sometimes, thus the ice queen nickname, but she's one of few people who can actually put up with your divaness."

Rachel ignores his bluntness and doesn't say anything. She just slumps her shoulders, which alarms Kurt. This is definitely much more serious the he initially thought. He expects the brunette to launch into a full rant about why she cannot go out with Quinn Fabray and denying her divaness.

"Is it because she's a girl?" He cautiously asks. Rachel has never shown any sign of liking the same sex and his gaydar hasn't picked up anything with Rachel and they've known each other since kindergarten. Surely, the blonde's gender is going to be an issue for the diva.

"I was initially hesitant about that but after much soul searching; I have come to terms that I may be bi-sexual or at least for Quinn, and have accepted my attraction to her."

"Ok, so what's the problem?" He's surprised that she didn't come to him for advice on her sexuality, but he dismisses it without offense because it can be a very personal thing, and most people are not comfortable sharing it with anyone.

"I'm scared, Kurt." Rachel confesses.

"Oh, Rachel." Kurt reaches out his arms to hold the brunette's hands from across the table, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Look at my exes. Finn cheated on me and Jesse egged me. I don't think I can survive another relationship like that."

Kurt keeps himself from rolling his eyes at the brunette's dramatics. He's going to be the supportive friend that she needs right now. "Do you not think that Quinn's different?"

Rachel lets out an exasperated breath. "I don't know. I have seen her flirt with several girls and she's good friends with Puck. I've heard rumors of her sexual escapades..."

"Since when did you start believing in rumors? You of all people should know that most of those are untrue. Although, I do understand your concern, because I have heard the same about your blondie." Kurt realizes that he's not helping the brunette's uneasiness, so he switches the topic. "Did you tell her why you said no?"

Rachel nods. "Yes, I told her that I want to be wooed and courted. I wanted a grand romantic gesture and be swept off my feet like I deserve."

"And how did she react to that?"

"She said to forget it and walked away." Rachel retells sadly. She's disappointed that Quinn gave up without a fight, but she convinces herself that it's just as well and she'd save herself from heartbreak.

"That's disappointing."

"Perhaps it's just as well. We may be better off as friends."

"Maybe she's planning something grand?" He suggests, but he doesn't really know the blonde enough to know for sure.

"Maybe, but it's been a week and she has done nothing but avoid me every time I try to talk to her."

"Oh well, her loss because you're fabulous. She doesn't know what she's missing, Rachel." Kurt compliments her to try to cheer her up. "I think it's time we have another girls' night. What do you say? You, me, Tina, and Mercedes, this Saturday. Sleepover, makeover, and sappy romantic movies?" Kurt suggests, knowing that it will help take the brunette's mind off of Quinn, at least temporarily.

"Sounds good, Kurt. It's been a while since our last girls' night. I'm in."

"It'll be alright, Rachel. Forget those jerks. We don't need them." Kurt states, half-serious, and this makes the brunette giggle a little, and the two friends start planning their sleepover and quickly send texts to their other friends.

* * *

"Prom is next week. Are you going to ask Rachel to go with you?" Brittany inquires as they make their way to the lunchroom.

"I don't think so, Britts." Quinn replies with a shrug. Even though her cousin knows about Rachel rejecting her invitation to go out, Brittany is still dead set on the two of them getting together.

"Why not? You two will be so cute together."

"Maybe next time." The shorter blonde answers sadly, trying to keep her tone indifferent, but Santana knows better.

"Look, Q. If you don't make a move soon, you'll miss out." Santana points out, directing their attention down the hall where Finn is talking to Rachel and holding up a couple of prom tickets. They can all assume that he's asking her to go to prom with him.

Quinn frowns at seeing this, and changes her mind about lunch. "I just remember I have… uuhh… homework to do, so I'll see you later." She walks the opposite way, once again successfully avoiding the brunette. She also doesn't want to know if Rachel agrees to going to prom with the tall boy, so she leaves.

Brittany happily waves her goodbye, oblivious to Quinn's somber mood, but Santana watches her friend walk away, figuring a way to talk to her to knock some sense into the girl, but for now, she'll enjoy lunch with her wonderful girlfriend.

The two cheerios continue down the hallway and Santana intentionally bumps into Finn as they are walking pass them. She makes sure to use her entire body weight and he stumbles to the side, hitting the wall beside him.

"What the hell?" Finn cusses the Latina as he recovers his footing.

"Surely you can do better than that, hobbit. Finnept's a total LOB." Santana tells Rachel as she and Brittany walks by, leaving the brunette to chew over her words and a confused and fuming Finn.

"What was that, honey?" Brittany asks Santana, entering the packed cafeteria. They easily spot their usual table where Sam and Puck are already stuffing their faces with questionable lunchroom food.

"Nothing, Britts." Santana responds.

Brittany looks at her with a knowing smile, and she gives her girlfriend a peck on the cheek. "You're a good friend, San." Then she skips to their table, cheerfully greeting her friends and leaving a blushing Latina standing in the same spot.

* * *

Quinn is sitting on the bleachers at her usual place. She's still trying to avoid the diva as much as possible. She's not ready to talk yet and her pride is still bruised.

She pulls a pack of cigarette out of her bag, and takes out a stick. She takes a long drag as she lights it up with a zippo lighter with a skull on it. She enjoys the cigarette, drawing out the feel of the nicotine in her lungs. She usually doesn't smoke, but once in a while she will indulge in a stick or two, depending on her mood.

Footsteps echoes up the metal bleachers, and she finds the flamboyant boy from Glee club walking up to where she's sitting.

"That's going to kill you." Kurt tells the blonde as he sits down beside her, keeping a good distance between them. He doesn't want to ruin his designer outfit with the cigarette smoke.

"So I've been told." Quinn shrugs, taking another long drag from her cigarette.

"What are you doing, Quinn?"

The blonde glares at the boy wondering what gives him the right to question her like that. They're not even friends and never had a conversation before. She doesn't even remember his name. Burt? Krumer? She quirks an eyebrow, showing him that she's not amused at the interruption in her quiet and personal time.

He swallows nervously because the blonde is scary, especially her icy glares. If looks can kill, then he probably will die of a heart attack or something, but he needs to be strong for his best friend. He's doing this for Rachel.

"I apologize for being blunt and I know that we're not friends but we're in glee club together. That should count for something, right?"

Quinn says nothing and continues to shoot daggers at him with her eyes, impatiently waiting for him to get to the point. She finishes the cigarette between her fingers and recklessly flicks it away. She pulls another stick and lights it up, keeping her eyes on Kurt.

"We're like a team, so we should be able to talk to each other."

"Get to the point, pretty boy." Quinn interrupts because this is getting on her nerves.

Kurt flushes and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. "What are you doing with Rachel?"

"What do you mean what I'm doing with her?" She deflects wondering what he knows.

"Rachel's my best friend, and I don't want her getting hurt, so if your intentions are…"

"Wait… You think I'm going to hurt her? She's not the one who got shot down." She snaps at him because really, she's the one who got hurt in all of this.

"With good reasons… You can't blame her for being cautious, especially with the rumors abo…" Kurt defends her friend, but the blonde interrupts him before he can continue.

"You don't know shit about me." Quinn barks at him, even though the rumors are somewhat true. It's true about her back in New York, but in Lima, not any more. She hasn't even gotten laid since she moved and surprisingly, has no desire to hook up with anyone. Lima really did change her or maybe she's still distracted in adjusting to the new place and new faces. She shrugs this new revelation off for now.

"You're right, I don't." Kurt flinches at the harsh retort. "But you understand where I'm coming from, Quinn. I just don't want my friend to get hurt."

"Yea, well, I'm laying off of your friend, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Is that what you want?"

"Does it matter what I want?"

"Rachel likes you." Kurt reveals, because it looks and sounds like the blonde is obviously into his friend as well. If he needs to play matchmaker, then he will, and he will do what he can to push the two together without overstepping the boundaries of his friendships.

"She has a funny way of showing it." The blonde says bitterly.

"You can't blame her, and this is Rachel we're talking about, she's all about the dramatics." Kurt waves his hand to emphasize his point. He sees a small smile on the blonde's face, but she doesn't say anything, so he continues. "If you like her enough, give it another shot… just don't intentionally hurt her."

Quinn continues staring out into the empty field without a word.

Kurt takes this as a sign that this conversation is over. "Just think about what I said." He sighs, unsure if the blonde even hears what he's saying, but he doesn't push. "Well, I'll see you around, Quinn." He gets up, leaving the blonde to her thoughts.

Quinn processes everything that the pretty boy just told her, contemplating her next move or if she even wants to make a move. She only get a few moments to herself when another set of footsteps, louder this time, echoes on the metallic bleacher floor.

"Stop fucking moping around, Q. I'm sick and tired of your emo shitness." Santana practically yells at her, tossing her book bag next to Quinn's feet.

Quinn rolls her eyes and takes one last long drag on her cigarette, then flicks it away behind the bleachers. She just cannot get a moment to herself. Times like this, she curses at having friends who actually care.

"Don't you be rolling your eyes at me, Fabgay. I'm trying to help ya out here."

"I think I have enough of these talks to last me for weeks." Quinn sighs out. This day is dragging too slowly for her, and she's not sure what is up with all these confrontations. It's like a give Quinn a lecture day.

"What are you yapping about?"

"That pretty boy in glee just came to talk to me." The blonde still cannot recall his name, but it's at the tip of her tongue.

The Latina can only think of one male glee member who can be described as pretty. "Who? Lady lips?"

"Yea, whatever his name is."

"What'd he say?" Santana asks curiously. She's surprised that Hummel was brave enough to talk to the grumpy and mopey blonde. Even when she's in a good mood, Quinn isn't the approachable and friendly type, and people usually stay out of her way, which the blonde prefers anyway.

"Something about not hurting Rachel and that she likes me and shit."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Santana raises an eyebrow at the revelation. If lady lips said it, then it's most likely true because he's good friends with the diva. She considers having a chat with him to see what else he knows.

"Nothing."

"Why the fuck not?"

Quinn pulls the cigarette pack out of her bag and takes another stick out. It's one of those days that require a lot of chain smoking and maybe some hard liquor – if only she isn't stuck in school for another couple of hours. She considers skipping the rest of the school day.

Santana slaps the cigarette pack out of the blonde's hand and it falls down under the bleachers, through the railings, disappearing into the ground under the bleachers.

"What'd you do that for?" Quinn tries to spot the pack on the ground, calculating if she can get it by crawling under, but the amount of effort to do that puts her off, and she decides to just buy another pack on the way home later.

"That stuff will kill ya. Not that I give a damn coz you can die for all I care, but Britts' will be sad, and that's just not acceptable."

"Just leave me alone. I'm done talking." The blonde turns away from the Latina and thinks of leaving and finding another secluded and hidden space to hide away. This bleacher is too exposed, and she never gets any alone time sitting here. She wonders why she even picked this place as her quiet spot in the first place.

"Someone needs to slap some sense into you, and I'd gladly do it. I won't hold back."

Quinn stares out into the field with furrowed brows, in deep thought. She doesn't feel the need to say anything. She also knows that when the Latina is on a roll, it's no use interrupting her.

"You're dragging everyone down with your teen angst. It's no longer amusing. You need to stop moping around like an ass and sweep the midget off her freakin' dwarf like feet." Santana's practically yelling at the blonde who flinches a little bit from the truth of the Latina's words.

Santana finally stops and is taking deep long breaths to calm her racing heart from the outburst. The blonde hasn't said anything yet, but she knows that she's listening. She's done with her lecturing, and it's now time to let loose.

"Fuck this shit. Let's skip and get wasted. You in?" Santana grabs her bag and gets up, turning to the blonde.

Quinn looks at her friend, and nods. "Bitch, you read my mind. Let's go."

This is the dynamic of their friendship and it works for them. There's only so much heart-to-heart they can handle, but in the end, they know that they have each other's back and that's all that matters.

* * *

Quinn and Santana get carried away with the drinking. Santana finds an extra-large bottle of tequila in her parents' liquor cabinet, and the two girls start taking shots.

They unintentionally start a drinking contest. The first one to stop taking shots loses. They take breaks here in there to munch on some snacks and food and play video games, but since both of them are equally stubborn, they continue until the bottle is empty.

They argue on who will be named the winner and it almost ends in a fist fight, but when Santana starts weeping about how people judge her without knowing her and that no one loves her except Brittany, Quinn forgets about punching the girl and is shocked to see the hard-ass Latina cry in front of her.

When Santana starts yapping about how Quinn is being mean to Rachel and how Rachel has been through a lot with her crappy ex-boyfriends, Quinn starts getting angry, feeling the need to punch something again. The sobbing Latina on the floor is not helping with her anger, and she quickly scans the basement for anything that she can punch.

The Latina keeps on sobbing about how Quinn is so heartless, and Quinn yells at her about her own pains and that people always blame her for everything, and that she's hurting as well. The blonde gets fed up with their argument and she gets up from the couch but the room starts spinning rapidly and she falls back on the couch. She tries to get up again but falls back down, and eventually gives up.

Santana finds herself lying down on the floor beside the couch and everything goes black. The next thing she knows, her ringing phone wakes her up. She scrambles to find her it, digging through the couch cushions that are scattered on the floor, and crawling on her knees to look under the couch, finding it there. She grabs it and quickly answers the call.

"Hhheeellooow?" The Latina slurs, rolling to her back and lying back on her basement game room floor.

Quinn is laying sprawled on the couch, asleep and snoring loudly.

"Britt-Britt? I can't hear you. Can you speak louder?" She speaks loudly over the blonde's snoring, but she's too drunk to get up and slap the blonde awake.

"Nooo… Not drunk, baby… Just a tiny itsy bitsy drink s'all… I was cheering Q up… Yah, you know me. I'm a good friend… What Glee practice? It's Friday… Freakin' hobbit, I mean, Berry… Sorry, Britt. I'll try to be nice to manha… Berry… No, no. I'm fine... Q and I will be there… Ok, love you too."

Santana tosses her cellphone to her side as soon as she hangs up. She stares up the ceiling and everything seems to be spinning, but the short nap sober her up enough to stop crying. She curses herself for drinking too much, because now she has to get to Berry's place for some last minute Glee practice.

They just recently found out that they're performing at prom. Leave it to Mr. Schue to spring something like this on them at the last minute. They only have one week to prepare and Rachel took it upon herself to organize additional practice sessions to prepare for their prom performance. Of course, the diva had to choose a Friday night to practice.

She can clearly hear Quinn still sleeping on the couch above her. She takes a deep long breath and let it out, then pushing herself up on her arms with whatever motor skills she has that's not ruined by the alcohol. After a few long minutes, she manages to get herself up on a standing position, legs shaky and room's still spinning.

She stumbles to the kitchen and successfully makes coffee, leaving the kitchen a mess. Her mother's not going be happy, but her parents are out of the town and the cleaning lady is coming in tomorrow, so she doesn't worry about mess. She chugs the coffee in one go as soon as it's cool enough to drink. She pours another cup, and chugs it down again.

After the fourth cup, the room stops spinning and she can walk without stumbling. She still feels really light headed and her vision gets blurry once in a while. If she doesn't focus hard enough, she'll step on her own feet while walking, but she's good enough to make it through glee practice.

She makes grabs a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and finishes them. Alcohol always makes her dehydrated and the coffee is going to keep her buzzed for hours, but it does the trick to sober her up enough.

Santana goes back to the basement where Quinn is still in the same place, snoring soundly. She grabs the blonde's shoulders and shakes her.

"Blondie, wake up."

Quinn doesn't wake up, so Santana roughly shoves her off the couch. The blonde falls face first on the hardwood flooring, smacking her forehead on it.

"Fuuuuuucckkk!" Quinn curses at the pain, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. She rolls to turn to her attacker, and sneers at the Latina who's grinning at the fallen blonde. She pushes herself up and moves to tackle the Latina, but all the alcohol she consumed impedes her body's functions and she loses balance, tripping on the coffee table and landing back on the ground, wincing in pain.

Santana sighs at her friend. "Come on, Q. Let's sober you up. We have Glee practice." She helps her up to her feet and manages to get the blonde in to the kitchen without any additional injuries.

"Glee practice?" Quinn mumbles, sitting on a kitchen stool and cradling her pounding head in her hands with her elbows resting on the kitchen counter. She vows to never drink this much, or at least, never drink tequila.

"Yea, your girl demands we have additional practice to prepare for nationals."

"My girl?" The blonde is very sure that she doesn't have a girl, and wonders if she missed something. Maybe the alcohol is giving her amnesia.

"Berry. You know, short and loud jewish girl about yee tall? Did that bump on the head make you forget the midget? Coz that will totally save us all a lot of angst and headache."

Quinn sends the Latina a murderous glare letting her know that she's not amused at all.

"Here, drink this. We needs to go like half an hour ago." Santana shoves a mug of coffee in front of the blonde, who gratefully takes it and chugs it down.

"How are we going to get there?" Quinn asks after setting the empty mug down.

"Drive?"

"No way. I ain't getting another DUI." The blonde shakes her head with a firm no. She's not ready to go to jail, which is where she will most likely end up at if she gets another DUI offense.

"Fine. Let's walk. It's like 10 minutes from here. You can walk without killing yourself right?"

The blonde gets off the stool to prove that she's fine, but steps on her own foot and stumbles back. She manages to grab the counter top, preventing her from smacking her head on the kitchen sink behind her.

Santana rubs her temples, anticipating a long and painfully trying walk to Berry's house.

* * *

Quinn and Santana make it to the Berry residence in about half an hour. Quinn is definitely still drunk, and she's not sure about the Latina, because neither of them will ever admit out loud that they can't get through a few hours of glee practice.

Both of them are convinced that they can fool the other glee kids to think that they're sober, so they square their shoulders, fix their hairs, and clear their throats as Santana pushes the doorbell.

The door swings open revealing a frowning diva, hands resting on her hips.

"You two are late. We've already started."

Santana ignore the brunette and rushes past her, walking inside the house invited, in search of her girlfriend. She doesn't want to deal with Rachel because there's a high possibility she may end up punching the annoying diva, especially when she's still a little intoxicated.

"Uuhh… we were doing homework." Quinn lamely explains. It's the first thing that comes to mind, and she doesn't know how believable it sounds to the brunette, but judging from her still frowning face, Rachel doesn't believe her excuse.

Quinn opens her mouth to try again, but Puck arrives, carrying a large box of… alcohol?

"Wassup, babes? Puckzilla's here. Let's get this party started."

"Noah, this is not a party. This is a practice session." Rachel scolds him.

"Sure, princess. Let's practice and then we take a break and have some fun." He makes his way to the kitchen, leaving the two girls in the front door foyer area.

Rachel is about to protest but Mercedes yells at them to come down to the basement so they can finish their set list for prom and get this practice over with. The two girls wordlessly make their way to the basement to join their fellow glee clubbers.

Quinn hopes she can get through the practice session because she has to use all her concentration in just walking properly. All she needs to do is sway in the background synchronously with the other glee kids. Easy enough.

Halfway through a song, she trips on the rug and slams into Puck who stumbles into Mike who loses his balance and pulls Tina down with him, and a domino effect essentially happens. Before they know it, most of the glee clubbers are on the floor groaning in pain and shock.

The only one left standing is the person singing the lead, which is Rachel, only because she is standing in front and away from anyone's reach. She spins around to look at her fellow glee members and her eyes widen at the scene before her. She's not sure what happened. Did she blow them off their feet with her wondrous singing? She doubts it but it's a nice thought.

"What the fuck was that?" Santana angrily yells at the person who yanked her down the ground.

"Someone pushed me and I tripped on Artie's wheelchair." Finn whimpers at the Latina's murderous glare. He really didn't intend to grab the Latina. He just reached out his long arms and grabbed at whatever he could to gain his balance back, but his heavier weight only made him pull that person down with him.

Quinn is still lying on the ground trying to still the spinning room. This evening cannot get any worse. She hopes no one will know to blame her for this. She closes her eyes to rest while there's a commotion of arguments and groaning around her.

Before anyone can figure out who started it all, Puck laughs out loud and loudly exclaims, "This shit is fun, and we haven't even started drinking."

This seems lighten the mood as everyone forgets about blaming someone for their falls. Sam yells, "Let's get this party started," and Puck sprints up the stairs with Sam trailing behind him. Mike turns on the dance music, setting the volume as loud as it can go. Someone turns some of the lights off, leaving only a few to give the basement a more party like ambience.

It has been decided that their practice is over. They already have a set-list anyway, everyone knows their part, and they still have a week to practice more.

Puck and Sam shortly come down with snacks and drinks, and Puck starts shoving cups of god knows what to everyone in the room. Some of the girls and Kurt are wary and hesitant to drink the alcoholic liquid, but seeing most of their peers gulping it down dissolves their wariness.

Brittany pulls Quinn up to her feet. The dancer is deceptively really strong and has no problem with practically carrying the shorter blonde to her feet. Quinn sits down on the couch to regain her bearing and clear the fog in her mind, but Puck hands her a red solo cup filled with a pretty red drink.

"Drink that, lesbro. It'll make you feel better." Puck tells her and tosses her a large bag of potato chips. She shrugs and starts munching on the chips while chasing it with the sweet red drink. It doesn't taste like alcohol at all, and she hopes that it's just raspberry juice.

Rachel is keeping her alcohol intake as minimal as possible. She seems to be the only one who isn't highly intoxicated. She's a little light headed but nothing extreme like her friends.

The alcohol is flowing generously from Puck for the past hour or so and most of them are half-asleep or passed out somewhere in the basement. She's glad her father is out of town this weekend because he will not be happy to see this scene happening in his own house.

She makes a quick headcount of her fellow glee clubbers.

Finn is snoring in one corner of the room, Santana and Brittany are heavily making out on the couch. Sam and Mercedes are closely sitting next to each other in deep conversation or at least that's what it looks like to an observer. Mike and Tina are cuddled up together on the recliner, sleeping. Kurt and Blaine are dancing ungracefully on the open space in the middle of the room.

Artie, Puck, and Quinn are nowhere to be found in the basement and she starts to worry. She doesn't see them leave, but she wasn't really paying close attention to each person the entire time. She was watching the blonde but Finn tried to dance with her and she moved her attention to pushing Finn off of her.

She hears loud cheering upstairs, more like outside, and she rushes out of the basement, following the sounds. She swings the front door open and finds Puck jumping up and down, cheering. Artie is sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of the empty neighborhood street, and Quinn is going down the road on a skateboard, heading towards Artie at a really high speed.

This scenario alarms the brunette, and she sprints to the three obviously drunk teenagers. Before she gets to them, Quinn is about to collide with Artie but before hitting the wheelchair boy, she jumps up and goes over Artie without hitting him, and makes a perfect landing on the other side of the sitting boy.

Artie and Puck cheer and clap for the blonde as she gracefully stops and jumps off the board, giving her audience of two a bow.

Rachel is still in shock and she wonders if the blonde is still drunk. She's very sure that she witnessed the blonde consume just as much alcohol as everyone else.

Quinn stomps one end of the board and it flips up. She reaches out to grab a hold of it but misses and it hits her on the shin. She yelps out in pain, crouching down to furiously rub her injured shin, but she loses her balance and stumbles to her side a little. She does manage to stay upright without falling flat on the street. Puck, Artie, and the blonde boisterously laugh at what just happened.

Rachel shakes her head at them and confirms that the blonde is still indeed drunk. She cannot believe the blonde still manages to do a skateboard stunt perfectly in her intoxicated state. She's almost impressed if the behavior wasn't so reckless and dangerous, and her common sense takes over.

"Quinn, that was reckless of you to do that. You could have hurt Artie. You could have hurt yourself."

"I'm fine, Rach. See… No damage. I'm all good. No worries." The blonde slurs, arms wide open and turning around for the brunette to clearly see that she's not hurt or harmed.

Puck grabs the skateboard lying on the ground and he tries to get on it, but falls hard on his ass. Artie and Quinn holler at the groaning mohawk boy.

"Where did you even get that skateboard?" The brunette wonders because she doesn't remember Quinn bringing one when she arrived.

"Found it right there." Quinn shrugs, pointing to the house next door.

"You stole my neighbor's skateboard?"

"Not steal. More like borrowing. We'll give it back. I promise. They won't even know it's gone." The blonde reasons as if it's most sensible thing in the world.

A loud honking snaps Rachel to action. The car isn't going too fast, and safely veers out of the way of the teenagers, especially Puck who's still lying on the street. Rachel pulls Quinn out of the street to the sidewalk. She helps Puck up to his feet with a struggle because he is much heavier than her petite self, and she makes him push Artie back into the house, and the two boys disappear inside.

Quinn runs out to the street, grabs the skateboard, and starts skating around again.

"Quinn, let's get inside where it's safer."

"Just one more trick." Quinn kicks hard to gain speed and jumps over the sidewalk, attempting a simple kickflip over the sidewalk. She miscalculates and falls hard on the ground, bumping her head on the mailbox on her way down.

"Quinn!" Rachel panics and runs to the blonde's side.

Quinn groans in pain, lying on the cold sidewalk, and wonders if she's dying. This night cannot get any worse but she's proven herself wrong each time.

"Quinn, are you ok?" Rachel worriedly asks, concern lacing her features.

Quinn furrows her eyebrows at the brunette. "Why do you look concerned?"

"How hard did you hit your head on the mailbox?" The brunette wonders, brushing the hair off the blonde's forehead to check the bump.

"I thought you don't care about me?" Quinn pushes Rachel's hand away from her face and tries to get up but she's still a little dizzy, and the brunette grabs her arms to help her ease back down to a sitting position.

"What made you think that?"

"You didn't want to go out with me. You said no." The blonde involuntarily pouts. She drank so much that her emotions are all over the place. She's surprised all the alcohol in her system hasn't killed her yet, if the hits to the head don't kill her first. At this rate, she may end up in the hospital. It may be time to stop drinking for tonight.

"I never said I don't care about you." The brunette whispers but it's loud enough for Quinn to hear.

She's disappointed that Quinn actually thinks she doesn't care. She wonders if she was too demanding of the blonde when she insisted on a grand gesture. She knows she can get too carried away sometimes, but she hopes she was being reasonable. Was she asking too much of the blonde?

Quinn just stares at her blankly and Rachel's really worried about a possible concussion.

"Maybe we should get you to a hospital. How many fingers am I holding up?" Rachel checks the blonde's body for any injuries and holding three fingers up in front of the blondes face.

"Déjà vu." Quinn blurts out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Like the first time we met… Déjà vu." Quinn trails off with a goofy smile at the recollection of their first meeting. The memories give Quinn warm feelings. She blames the alcohol for her weird feelings, because who in their right mind will think fondly of getting hit by a car.

"Oh…"

"Go to prom with me?" The blonde abruptly asks. She's been thinking about it ever since Brittany brought it up earlier, but she never thought she'd actually ask the brunette. The alcohol is definitely messing her up. She hopes for a positive reply and anxiously waits for the brunette's answer.

The brunette has a surprised look on her face, not expecting that at all, and she's speechless.

When Rachel doesn't answer, Quinn gets nervous and starts rambling. "I mean, we'll go as friends. Friends go to prom together all the time, unless you're already going with someone else… Are you? Going with someone else? Coz that's totally fine. I'm just asking like you know, as friends…"

The brunette puts a finger on the blonde's lips to stop her rambling. She smiles at the adorable blonde. "Yes, Quinn. I'll go to prom with you…. As friends."

Finn did ask her to go to prom with him, but she declined his invitation. He wasn't happy about it, but she insisted that she's not interested. She hopes that the tall boy doesn't continue to bother her about it, but knowing Finn, he probably didn't take the hint. She'll have to figure out how to avoid him as much as possible throughout the week.

She was hoping that the blonde will ask her to prom. This wasn't what she was expecting, but it is good enough for her, especially since they made it clear that they're going as friends. She feels it is fine to accept such an invitation without expecting some type of grand gesture.

Quinn beams and smiles widely at the brunette's answer and hastily nods at the news. "Got it. As friends." She's fine with going as friends as long as she's going with Rachel. She decides that today's actually not as bad as the initially thought.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading._

_LOB = Lack of Better (check it in Urban Dictionary)_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I decided to divide the prom story into two separate chapters so that I can update with a new chapter sooner than later. This hasn't been proofread, so all mistakes are mine and I apologize for them. As usual, please point out the mistakes and I'll correct them._

_Thank you everyone for reading, favorite-ing, following, and reviewing. I love to hear from you, so please don't be afraid to review or message me._

_FormerGophers – The dictionary, thesaurus, and urban dictionary are my friends. :) Not being a native speaker also means that it takes me longer to finish chapters, but I'm chugging along. :)_

_Guest – Jealousy is part of any relationship and a jealous Rachel is not necessarily unexpected, but there are different degrees of jealousies, so I'm seeing a more healthy and normal amount for both girls. At this point, I think it's more of Quinn working hard for Rachel's affection, but it will all balance out as they move forward in their relationship._

_Gleek4life353 – I foresee a slow dance and a fun dance and so much more in the next chapter. ;)_

_Guest – Faberry need each other in their lives whether it's in my story or in other Faberry story. I ship them, so I'm biased. Hehe._

_beaner008 and mythic-lionheart – What's a Faberry story without some Finn drama? :)_

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't own Glee, and I'm not making anything out of this. It's all just for fun._

* * *

**[ Chapter 8 ]**

Quinn is walking to the library for her free period when Brittany calls out to her with Santana walking alongside her always cheerful cousin.

"I heard you're going to prom with Rachel. I knew you'd go with her." Brittany excitedly says.

Quinn told Santana the day after, freaking out a little bit about the going to prom with the brunette. She has never been to prom and doesn't know what to do and what to expect.

The Latina managed to calm her down with harsh but true words, and even gave her some insights on what to expect and what to do. It helped a lot. Puck also gave her some pointers on how to convince Rachel to sleep with her during prom night, which weren't at all helpful, but her friends going out of their way to help her in their own way made her feel a lot better.

"Yea, but we're going as friends." Quinn tries to explain to set the expectation.

"I think we should coordinate our outfits. Oh that would be so much fun. I have to talk to Rachel." Brittany completely ignores Quinn's statement and practically runs off to find the shorter brunette, so they can plan for prom.

"Wait, no coordinating, Britts. Please…." Santana's eyes widen at Brittany's idea and sprints after her, trying to talk her girlfriend out of it.

Quinn knows better than to argue with her cousin, and hopes that Rachel has enough common sense not to agree with everything Brittany suggests because knowing how whipped Santana is, there's no way she can talk her girlfriend out of whatever ideas she's already brewing up.

* * *

Rachel is in the choir room running through her warm up scales when Kurt enters the room. She continues with her practice, ignoring the boy who's standing with his arms crossed and waiting for her to finish. She knows there's no way she's going to be able to practice because Kurt is giving her that look that says that he wants to talk and he will not take no for an answer.

She finishes up and turns to the fashionable boy, waiting for him to say something.

"Finn's been whining about you not agreeing to go with him. He's getting too annoying and now he's asking me to convince you to go with him. Are you going to prom? Do you even want to go to prom?" Kurt rambles as soon as Rachel's done with her scales.

Rachel has managed to avoid Finn thus far. It isn't too difficult since she's able to easily disappear into the crowd of students whenever she spots the tall boy. They also do not share any classes, and they are all so busy with preparing for their prom performances to talk.

"Yes, I am going to prom." Rachel confirms but doesn't add any additional details.

"With who?" Kurt asks curiously.

"Do I have to go with somebody? Can I not go on my own?" Rachel defends, ready to fire off a speech about being a strong and independent woman not needing to go to any dance events with a partner.

Kurt quirks his eyebrow indicating that he doesn't believe her and to start spilling the whole story.

Rachel sighs. "I'm going with Quinn."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? We had a sleepover and you failed this mention this important information?" He whines because he's just finding out of about this very important news.

"It didn't come up."

"Because we were trying to get your mind off of Quinn. That's the whole point of the sleepover." Kurt practically shrieks. He's not happy that his supposed best friend kept this from him for days, but at the same time, he's happy that the blonde and brunette are making some progress in their relationship, and he didn't even have to step in… yet.

"It's no big deal. We're just going as friends." The brunette shrugs it off like it isn't a big deal.

"As friends?"

"Yes, as friends." Rachel firmly replies, leaving no room for further explanation or questioning.

"Oh kay… Whatever. You can label it however you want." He lets it go. At least the two girls are going together even if they're just going as friends, whatever that means.

He moves on to another important topic with proms. "Let's discuss something much more important, like what outfit are you going to wear? We have to make you look really sexy, something that will render Quinn speechless. Oh oh… I have an outfit in mind. We need to go shopping ASAP. We're going today after school."

"Brittany ambushed me earlier and told me that we're coordinating our outfits." The diva reveals, recalling her odd encounter with the blonde cheerleader. Brittany sounded so excited about the whole idea and she wanted to object, but the blonde had walked away from her before she can add in a word, a flustered Santana trailing behind her mumbling something about no coordination.

"I need to talk to Brittany then. It's settled. She's going shopping with us this afternoon." Kurt's eyes light up and he cannot wait to talk to Brittany to share outfit ideas.

"Wait… I didn't agree to this."

"Be ready after school, Juliet, because we're going to find you the perfect outfit that will get you your Romeo. I'm driving." Kurt decides and walks out of the classroom to find the blonde cheerleader, leaving a speechless Rachel to process his words.

"Kurt, Romeo and Juliet died in the end!" Rachel protests loudly, going after Kurt, not at all liking the analogy that Kurt uses for her relationship, or rather, non-relationship with Quinn.

* * *

It turns out that their little shopping trip of three people – Kurt, Rachel, and Brittany – becomes a shopping trip of seven people.

Kurt told Brittany who told Santana who dragged Quinn to go with her because she needed reinforcement to stand up to Brittany's crazy ideas, hoping that the majority will win in this situation.

Quinn forced Sam and Puck to go with them because she doesn't want to be stuck shopping with a bunch of girls, including Kurt into that category. She dislikes shopping and having Sam and Puck there may make it a little bit more bearable because they can make fun of other people together.

And of course, Blaine tagged along with his boyfriend so they can get matching outfits for prom.

They go to every single store in the mall that sells prom dresses and it seems like they try on every single outfit there is available in each store. By the third store, Quinn is exhausted and is sluggishly trailing behind the eager ladies (Rachel, Brittany) and Kurt.

"Why am I even here?" Puck asks annoyingly. He could have been hooking up with some hot cheerios ass but nope, he's bored to death shopping with girls for prom.

Sam had wisely excused himself when they pass by the comic book store in the mall, and they haven't seen him since he disappeared into the shop an hour ago.

"Oh, Puck, I think I found the perfect outfit for you. Come and try it." Brittany tells him.

Puck groans in pain at the idea of having to try on another suit. He vows to never go shopping with any girl at all.

"Shut the fuck up, Puckerman, and you're going to do whatever my girl says." Santana warns.

He nods dejectedly and goes with Brittany to try on whatever she wants him to try.

"San, I have something for you too." Brittany calls out to Santana, and Santana sighs in defeat as well.

Quinn teases her with a whipping sound and she glares at the blonde, who laughs at her agony.

"Quinn, aren't you going to try on anything?" Rachel appears beside Quinn with a couple of dresses in her arms.

"I'm fine." Quinn replies, hoping and praying that Rachel will not force her try anything on because she is not in the mood. She's ready to go home or do anything that doesn't involve shopping.

"You sure?" Rachel check to make sure because most girls will be jumping to try different outfits for prom, but then she has to remind herself that the blonde is not like most girls. She grabs a couple of dresses from the rack and holding them up to show the blonde, non-verbally asking her which one looks best.

"Yea, I'm sure." Quinn points to the dress on the left and the brunette puts the other dress back on the rack, and slings the one that Quinn pointed to on her arm so she can try it on.

"Do you know what you're wearing?" Rachel inquires. She's curious to find out if the blonde is going for a dress or pants. In all honesty, she's fine with other option and she will not mind if the blonde opts to wear a suit.

"Do you prefer I wear anything specific?" The blonde asks. She already has an idea of what to she's going to wear, but she cannot help feeling unsure if the shorter girl will like her choice or not.

"You should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable." Rachel assures her honestly.

"You sure about that? So if I decide to wear my birthday suit, you'll be ok with it?" Quinn teases the shorter girl.

Rachel smirks, knowing fully well that the blonde is merely baiting her. "If you want to wear your birthday suit, then I'm fine with it."

"Q, stop flirting with the midget. I need your help." Santana calls out to her from the dressing room area.

Quinn looks at Rachel sheepishly, "I guess I have to rescue Santana."

"Of course. Who knows what Brittany is making her wear?"

Quinn nods and walks towards Santana's voice, but abruptly stops, turning to the brunette. "You sure you don't want me to wear anything specific?" She verifies one more time just to make sure.

"I will be fine with whatever you wear, Quinn. Just make sure it's appropriate." Rachel replies with a smile, referring to her disapproval of Quinn's suggestion on wearing her birthday suit.

"I'll keep that in mind." Quinn rushes off to the Latina whose loud cursing can be heard throughout the store.

* * *

After a long shopping trip, leaving Quinn, Santana, Puck, and Sam extremely drained; they all decide to have dinner at the Fabrays, except for Kurt and Blaine who already have dinner plans for the evening.

At home, Quinn and Sam find their parents waiting for them. Judy and Grammy are preparing for an early dinner in the kitchen, while Russell is putting away some groceries in the pantry and fridge.

"Mom. Dad. When did you get in?" Sam runs to give his parents a hug each.

"A few hours ago. We wanted to surprise both of you, and you too Brittany."

"Don't your old man and mom get a hug from you?" Russell teases Quinn, opening up his arms for a hug.

Quinn goes to hug her parents, "I'm glad you guys are here."

Brittany excitedly hugs her most favorite aunt and uncle too.

Russell and Judy notice the group of teenagers standing behind their son and daughter.

"So who's who?" Russell beams a smile at the other teenagers in the room.

Sam introduces everyone and Judy happily hugs each of her kids' friends.

Grammy have been giving Russell and Judy news about Quinn and Sam – their friends and who they're hanging out, what they've been doing, how they're doing in school. They may be far away from their children, but that doesn't mean they do not care. They miss Quinn and Sam, and they've been looking forward to this visit and to personally their children's friends.

"It's so nice to meet Quinn and Sam's friends." Judy gushes. Considering that Sam and Quinn haven't been in trouble since they moved to Lima, this group must be a good bunch. At least, she hopes so.

"You kids can go do what you kids do. We'll take care of dinner and will call you when it's ready." Russell announces, while Grammy takes out a larger amount of food items than they initially planned. Good thing they stopped by the grocery store on their way home from the airport.

Sam, Puck, Santana, and Brittany leave the kitchen. Santana and Brittany go upstairs to Brittany's room, while Puck and Sam disappear downstairs to play video games. Quinn is about to walk out but stops when she notices that Rachel doesn't move. She turns back to see what's up with the brunette.

Rachel steps forward and politely offers, "Do you need any help with dinner? I will be more than happy to provide my assistance."

"We appreciate the offer, Rachel, but we will manage." Judy replies impressed at the courteous and considerate girl.

"I suppose Quinn and I can work on our class homework, but I'm available if you need an extra set of hands."

"Thank you, dear."

Rachel finally turns to walk out of the kitchen and sees the grinning blonde, watching from the kitchen entry way.

"Are we really going to do homework?" Quinn tries not to whine, but it comes out anyway because she's not in the mood for homework. She just wants to take a nap, maybe mindlessly watch a pointless television show, anything that's doesn't involve school.

"Yes, we are, Quinn. We cannot slack off, especially this late in the semester." Rachel enforces.

"But I'm doing fine in my classes." Quinn is definitely whining now, but she grabs Rachel's and her bag from the front foyer anyway.

Rachel gives Quinn a firm glare to let her know that she's serious and demands, "Take me to your room, Quinn." Then realizes that her words came out wrong and she blushes, as the blonde quirks an eyebrow and smirks.

"I meant so that we can focus on our homework without any interruption." Rachel quickly explains.

Quinn walks upstairs with the brunette following behind her. "Are you sure you only want to do homework in the privacy of my bedroom?" Quinn teases the flustered brunette, turning face the brunette and wiggling her eyebrows to further tease her.

Rachel playfully slaps her arm and scolds her. "You're spending too much time with Noah."

The blonde laughs all the way to her bedroom with a huffing brunette following behind her.

Rachel stands at the entrance of Quinn's room, looking around and scoping out the blonde's sanctuary. It looks like any teenager's bedroom – a queen-sized bed in the middle; matching desk, bedside tables, drawer and bookshelves; a few posters on the wall (skateboarding themed and rock bands); picture frames scattered throughout the room; a flat screen TV, entertainment system, and computer.

What surprises her most are the large bookshelves full of books from top to bottom.

She has seen the blonde lost in a book a few times in glee and during her free period and she always has a book with her, but didn't expect her to be so passionate about books. Judging from her large collection of literary works, the blonde is definitely very much into it.

"So this is where the magic happens…. Or not happen." Quinn turns to the quiet brunette whose eyes and attention is roaming around the bedroom, almost like she's studying every detail in the room.

This makes the blonde a little nervous, like she's been studied under a microscope. Her room is her private place where she can get away from all the craziness of life. It's her sanctuary where she gets to temporarily escape and loose herself in her books.

She notices the brunette staring at her bookshelves in awe, so she confesses. "I'm kind of a book nerd." She chuckles nervously, pushing her hands down the back pockets of her jeans.

"I can see that. Who would have known that bad-ass tough girl Quinn Fabray is a complete literary nerd."

"Sshhh… It's a secret, and you better not tell anyone about it."

"Or else… What?"

"Or else you'll be punished." Quinn suddenly tickles the brunette, who screams in surprise and starts laughing out loud, her very unique Rachel Berry laugh.

Rachel tries to get away from the blonde by running out of the blonde's reach, and the blonde laughs out loud in pure joy, chasing the smaller girl. She finally tackles the girl to bed, hovering over her and tickling the girl beneath her.

"Quinn, stop. I give up. I promise not to tell." The brunette chokes out in between giggles and laughs, trying to swat the blonde's hands away from her ticklish spots.

"Is the great Rachel Berry admitting defeat?" Quinn teases, not relenting from her tickling the squirming girl below her.

A loud knock on her open door and a clearing of throat stop Quinn from continuing her tickle attacks on the smaller girl, and both girls turn to look at the intruder.

Judy is standing at the doorway with an amused expression on her face. She hasn't seen Quinn laugh so genuinely hard in a while, and it makes her happy to see her daughter this carefree again.

"You two lovebirds want to come down for dinner? It's ready."

Quinn moves off of the smaller girl, allowing the brunette to properly sit up, and blushes at her mother's words. "We were just doing homework." She lamely explains.

"Oh, is that what you kids call it nowadays?"

"Eerrr…" Quinn racks up her brain for something to say that doesn't sound too defensive or embarrassing.

Rachel steps in to help her, changing the topic. "Thank you, Mrs. Fabray. We will be right down."

Quinn sighs in relief for the brunette's rescue. If the brunette didn't step in, she's sure she will have said something embarrassing.

"Please call me Judy, Rachel. I will see you two downstairs shortly." Judy says with a warm smile to the brunette girl who has impressed her so far, and then leaves to allow the two teenagers to finish up whatever they were doing.

Quinn glances at the brunette who's smirking at her. She's still embarrassed at her mother's assumption and hopes that it doesn't make the brunette feel uncomfortable, but from the looks of it, the brunette is not at all uncomfortable.

"Sorry about that. My parents have a knack at embarrassing me every chance they get."

"It's nice that you have a good relationship with your family, Quinn. Not many people are fortunate enough to have that." Rachel comments. She tries but fails to keep the sadness from her voice.

"Yea, I'm very lucky." Quinn notices the somber way the brunette said the words, but she doesn't push. Now is not the time, so she changes the subject to something lighter. "Ready for dinner?"

Rachel smiles gratefully at the blonde for not pressing the topic any further, and the two go downstairs to join the rest of the gang and family.

* * *

Quinn is in her room staring at the two outfits on her bed. On one side is a punk-style sexy black dress and on the other side is a pants and vest ensemble with feminine hints to not make it look too mannish.

She's looking at one then the other, and finally yells out for help. "Sam! Britts!"

A few minutes later, Sam waltz in wondering what his sister needs. "What's up, sis?"

"I can't decide what to wear." Quinn whines. She still standing in the same spot as she started, looking at both outfits on the bed back and forth.

"Uuumm... Are you sure I'm the right person to ask? You should ask mom or Britts."

"Just tell me what you think."

"Fine… let me see." He studies both outfits on the bed and frankly, he doesn't care what his sister wears. Both outfits look nice and he's sure she'll look good with either one of them, but she wants him to pick so he quickly does an ini mini miny moe in his head.

"Go with the pants." He answers.

"You think so?"

"Yea."

"Hhhmm…" Quinn rest a finger on her chin, lost in thought. The dress looks nice and is definitely her style even though it's a dress, which she rarely wears but is not opposed to wearing. The other outfit is tailored just for her so it will fit nicely and will be much more comfortable. Both outfits will definitely turn heads, and she wonders what Rachel will think. She considers calling the brunette to get her opinion on it.

Sam slowly back pedals to escape from any further fashion inquiry, taking advantage of his sister's distracted state, but before he can make it out of the door, Brittany and Santana walks in.

"What's shakin', Q?" Santana greets.

"Just trying to decide what to wear for prom. What do you guys think?"

Sam takes this as his cue to leave and he disappears out of the room.

"Oh, that dress looks pretty, but I like the other one more. It looks comfortable."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking, Britts."

"So you're going butch for prom?"

"Sush, San. It looks great. I actually really like and I'm going to wear the same thing, Q. Well, not the same but almost the same. We could match. Oh and you should wear a tie that will match Rachie's dress. I have to go shopping again." Brittany rambles on, her mind going a mile a minute with ideas, and she walks out of the room with an alarmed Santana following going after her.

They already spent so many hours shopping the past few days and Brittany had finally decided on a dress, but now she's changing her mind again and going shopping again. Santana doesn't know if she can survive another shopping trip. At this point, she doesn't care if Brittany decides to wear sweatpants. She just wants the shopping nightmare to end.

* * *

Quinn stands before her full length mirror and studies herself. She loosens her tie and unbuttons the first couple of buttons on her shirt. She doesn't like wearing ties but her Brittany and parents insisted she wear one for prom because it's appropriate for this type of occasion.

She's wearing black skinny pants that looks tailored just for her since it fits her perfectly. It's paired with a matching vest and a form fitting white button down shirt. She left her short hair messy and has very light make-up on. She finishes her outfit with her trusty chucks and a pair of hoop earrings to add a little bit of feminine touch to her outfit.

She wants to be comfortable enough to enjoy herself at her first ever prom, and heels always make her feet hurt, so she decided to with her chucks. Maybe next year, she'll wear a dress and heels, but this year is all about comfort.

She fixes her light pink tie for the tenth time tonight. She called Rachel the other day to verify the color of her dress, so she can get a tie that matches with Rachel's dress. It was her mother's suggestion.

She runs her fingers through her hair one more time and just in time because not a second after, she hears Sam calling her down, so they can get going.

The gang decided to go together as a group. Puck managed to hook them up with a Hummer limo, and they have a lot of people to pick up, so they have to start their evening earlier than most other prom goers.

Santana and Brittany are getting ready together in Brittany's room, so at least that's one less stop to make.

She takes a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She's nervous about going to prom, but she's even more nervous about going to prom with Rachel… as friend. She doesn't know what to expect, and she hopes the brunette is ok with her choosing to wear a suit instead of a dress.

She knows that the brunette told her to wear whatever she's comfortable with and that whatever Quinn chooses, the brunette will be ok with it, but she still feels anxious though.

A loud knock on her door breaks her out of her thought.

"Come on, lesbro. We don't have all night." Puck yells out from outside her door.

His footsteps indicate that he's walking down the hall and another loud knock on Brittany's room and yelling to get going echoes into Quinn's room.

Quinn checks to make sure she has everything she needs. She grabs the box of corsage on her desk, and heads out to meet the rest of the game and get this evening moving along.

As soon as she gets downstairs, she's blinded by bright flashing lights coming from the camera her father is holding. Even though she cannot see anything, she can clearly hear her parents and Grammy gushing over them.

Brittany is wearing an all-white tux with a black bow tie and white smaller than usual top hot over neatly tied up hair, completing her outfit with a pair of black heels, while Santana opted for a light blue skin tight dress, matching Brittany's skirt. Sam is wearing a standard suit with dark tie, and Puck decides on a white suit jacket and all black pants and shirt, no tie. Everybody looks really sharp and good.

They are forced to pose for too many photos – individually, as a group, boys only, girls only, couples (Brittany and Santana), and so on. Quinn is surprised that all the flashing lights haven't permanently damaged her eyes, but after what seems like a thousand photos, they are finally on their way.

They settle on the large and spacious limo while Russell and Judy follow behind them in their own car. The Fabrays insisted on taking more photos when the kids pick up their dates. Sam and Quinn didn't think it was a good idea and tried their hardest to dissuade their parents from tagging along, but it didn't work, so now they have to put up with being embarrassed by their parents.

* * *

After picking up Puck's date, two cheerios, and then Mercedes, they're now parked outside of the Berry residence. Kurt and Blaine are with Rachel. They got ready together since Rachel's dad will not be home until really late in the evening due to some work function he cannot get out of.

Quinn stands at the front door of the house, box of corsage in hand, while the rest of the gang waits in the limo. She rings the doorbell. The door swings open a few seconds later, revealing a sharply dressed Blaine.

"Hey Quinn. Kurt and Rachel are just finishing up. Come on in." Blaine gestures for her to come in and he keeps the door open wondering why there are two very blonde adults heading towards them.

Quinn notices his confusion and explains, a little embarrassed by her parents. "Oh, my parents. They want to take lots of photos to commemorate tonight."

"Ah, got it." Blaine nods in understanding, and he politely greets the older Fabrays. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Fabray. I'm Blaine."

"Hello Blaine. Are you also in glee club with our Sammie and Quinnie?" Judy asks.

Blaine nods in response and whispers to Quinn, "Sammie? Quinnie?" He questions the blonde as subtly as possible and Quinn merely shakes her head.

They are interrupted before anyone can reply by the loud footsteps coming down the stairs. They move their attention to the staircase, waiting to see their two glee mates comes down.

Kurt walks down before the diva and he cheerfully waits for Rachel to get down. He worked hard to get her ready and he cannot wait to see everyone's reaction, especially Quinn's.

Rachel carefully takes one step down the stair, focusing on not tripping and falling because the will be embarrassing, but her long dress and high heels is making it a challenge to gracefully make it down the stairs. She's still getting used to her new shoes. She curses herself for not breaking it in before tonight.

The waiting blondes and Blaine and Kurt come into view as she gets closer to the bottom of the stairs. She sees Russell and Judy standing behind Quinn with wide smiles on their faces. Quinn is obviously nervous and is fidgeting with her hands, her tie, her vest, and her hair. She finds Quinn's behavior adorable.

Rachel also likes Quinn's outfit. She looks really good in it and it fits her personality so well. She hopes that the blonde also likes her dress. Kurt helped her pick it out.

She takes the last step and miscalculates because she's busy staring at the blonde girl, and stumbles down. She closes her eyes waiting for impact with the ground, but instead, feels a strong pair of arms catch her and hold her close. She regains her footing and looks up to see concerned hazel eyes looking at her.

"I got you. Are you ok?" Quinn asks, worrying that the smaller brunette had hurt herself. She keeps her arms around the brunette, the box of corsage still in her hand, just to make sure she doesn't stumble again.

Quinn's concern for her well-being melts Rachel's heart. She steadies herself and nods at the blonde. "Thank you, Quinn. That was highly embarrassing, but I'm alright."

Quinn grins at the brunette. "Yea, it was really funny."

Rachel playfully slaps the blonde's arm. "You don't have to rub it my face, Quinn."

"I'm glad you're not hurt though. That would have been a nasty fall." Quinn adds seriously. They're standing close to each other, neither of them wanting to step away.

"You look really dashing, Quinn." Rachel compliments the blonde, which makes the blonde blush.

"You like?"

"Yes, I do. Here let me fix that." Rachel carefully fixes Quinn's tie for her, making sure not to tighten it too much, but enough to make her look presentable for the occasion.

"Thanks. You look really beautiful, Rach." The blonde adds shyly. She's suddenly feeling all nervous and shy, and she cannot help the blush her face and her hands are sweating.

Rachel is wearing an elegant light pink strapless dress that hugs her in all the right places, accentuating her curves and figure. Her hair is neatly tied up in a fancy bun and her make-up is perfectly done. The girl is beautiful and Quinn cannot help admire the stunning diva that's standing really close to her, delicate hands buttoning her shirt up and tightening her tie.

"There. You're all set." Rachel finishes, resting a hand on the blonde's chest and another on her shoulder, keeping eye contact with the nervous blonde.

Quinn gulps and then she remembers the box in her hand. "Uhh... Here. This is for you." She presents the box of corsage to the brunette and the brunette beams at the blonde's thoughtfulness.

"That's sweet of you, Quinn."

"Umm… Let me help you." The blonde takes the corsage out of the box and puts it on the brunette's wrist. Her mother helped her pick which type to get and they went with pink roses. It fit perfectly on Rachel's wrist and matches well with her dress.

Rachel gives her a smile in thanks and the two girls stare at each other without any words, exchanging shy smiles.

Unbeknownst to them, the Fabrays have been taking photos of the two of them the entire time. Kurt finally decides that it's time to end this sickening love fest if they want to make it to prom on time. He clears his throat loudly and claps his hands to the two girls' attention away from each other.

"Let's go, ladies. Some of us actually want to make it to prom." Kurt speaks out louder than usual, and it works.

Rachel and Quinn jumps apart, startled at the interruption, and flushes at forgetting about the other people in room. A flash of light temporarily blinds them and Quinn groans at her parents' incessant need to document this occasion.

"Let's take a few group pictures. Come on, get together." Judy excitedly motions for them to stay in frame and snaps a few photos on her digital camera, while Russell does the same on his DSLR camera.

"Ok. I think that's enough, mom, dad. We have to get going." Quinn insists, just in time with a loud consecutive honking from outside the house, and an extremely loud and agitated Santana yelling, 'Hurry the fuck up. We don't have all night."

"Fine. We'll let you kids go then. Enjoy yourselves and be safe." Judy hugs each one of them. "You look very beautiful, Rachel. I don't know what you see in our Quinnie but she's a lucky one." She tells the brunette as she hugs her.

"Mom!" Quinn whines at her mother's teasing. She almost stomps her feet at the statement, although it is true. She's definitely lucky to be able to take Rachel to prom.

Another loud honking spurs them to get on their way.

"We better get going before my neighbors call the police." Rachel comments and everyone agrees, and they all finally head out.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading. Up next is prom._


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I'm so glad a lot of you are enjoying this story. It motivates me to continue writing, so keep the reviews and comments coming. I value criticism as well, so say what you want to say. I won't mind. :) I should also point out that since this is AU, Rachel doesn't have two dads. It's all for a purpose that will soon be revealed._

_zleight – A kiss? Maybe? Please read on. ;)_

_Gleek4life353 – Thank you so much for the break down. I love it. It's very much appreciated._

_beaner008 and w1cked– The mystery about Rachel's parents / family will be revealed soon._

_ShadowCub – Ahhh, yes, teenage stupidity. I've definitely had my fair share of stupid things that I did when I was Quinn's age. It's all part of growing up right? ;)_

_To everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorite-d… Thank you so very much._

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I do not own Glee. I'm not gaining fame or fortune out of this. It's all in good fun. Mistakes are all mine though._

* * *

**[ Chapter 9 ]**

The school is not too far away from Rachel's house and they arrive in no time. When they walk in to the gymnasium together, a few heads turn to the new arrivals. They are not quite late but almost everyone's already there. They are not scheduled to perform until a little bit later in the night, so they have a little bit of time to say hi to people and settle in.

Before they can make it to the part of the gym where the tables and chairs are situated and where their friends are waiting, Finn stalks angrily over to Quinn and Rachel.

"You're not with me because of her?" Finn barks, standing in front of the two girls and pointing an accusing finger at the blonde.

Rachel flinches a little bit at his harsh tone and hopes he doesn't make a scene beyond what he's already causing.

Finn looks Quinn up and down judgmentally and anger boils up inside the blonde. The gang stands close by, quietly anticipating how the scene will unfold, and ready to step in to help their friends if needed.

"I can go with whomever I choose to, Finn." Rachel tells him calmly. She can see Quinn tensing up beside her. She grabs the blonde's hand in hers and this seems to calm the blonde down a little bit.

Before anyone else can say anything, she adds, "Please excuse us, Finn. I see Tina and Mike waiting for us over there." Then she immediately drags the blonde away from the fuming boy before he can protest.

Quinn allows the brunette to lead her away from the tall boy, and they join the rest of the glee club members. The glee clubbers, with the exception of Finn who's hanging out with his football teammates, admire and complement each other's outfit. They eventually settle down on the available tables and chairs, and quickly forget about Finn and start to enjoy their evening.

Brittany skips over to the group with Santana in tow. "We should go take photos. It looks so much fun. And they even have a real photographer and costumes and stuff you can wear to make you look cooler."

"I think my parents took enough photos to last us a lifetime, Britts." Quinn is really not in the mood for more picture taking. She's still recovering from all the flashes going off in front of her, and she swears she still randomly sees dark spots appear in her vision from all the flashes of lights earlier in the evening.

"Brittany's right. It looks fun. We should do it." Rachel pouts at Quinn to try to convince her to do it, and Quinn knows she's done. She cannot say no to that and she sighs, nodding and giving in.

"Yay. Let's go." Brittany claps in excitement, and practically runs off to the section of the gym where they're taking picture, dragging an equally happy diva behind her.

Santana smirks at Quinn and whips her wrist in motion towards the shorter blonde, mocking her. "Whipped."

"You are too." Quinn points out the obvious.

"Yea, but me and Britts are dating. You're not even with Rachel and you're already so whipped. That's just lame, Q." The Latina justifies. She's done with photo taking as well, but she'll never admit that out loud to Brittany, especially when the tall blonde is obviously so excited about it.

"Shut up. I'm not whipped. They're right. It sounds fun." Quinn lamely defends and excuses. She lightly shoves the Latina's shoulder in annoyance, forgetting that the Latina is wearing really high and pointy heels.

Santana stumbles but quickly regains her balance due to her years of cheerios training, giving Quinn the dirty eye. "Fuck. Don't be pushing me in these shoes. If I trip, I'll shove these stilettoes high up your ass, Fabray." That weak shove will not have an effect on her if she was wearing her usual cheerleading sneakers, but these heels require serious balance.

Before Quinn can argue back, they hear their names from around the photo area, and see Rachel and Brittany waving them over. Both girls slump their shoulder in defeat and mutters some curses under their breath, walking towards their better halves.

They spend another half an hour taking photos as a group, with each other, and with random friends. They take funny photos and proper photos. Quinn forces herself to smile through each shot, but she does genuinely smile whenever she sees the brunette looking so happy and carefree.

They go back to their tables after the photography session, and a few of them start taking the stage for their different numbers.

Rachel is feeling really spoiled by Quinn. The blonde is very thoughtful, pulling the chair out for her when she sits down, bringing her snacks and drinks whenever she needs it, and basically just catering to whatever she wants. She can really get used to this.

Quinn hears a few of the jocks snicker at her and mutter the usual insults at her.

After the Karofsky incident, most of the jocks stay away from her and Sam but the insults thrown at them still continue. They do keep their distance when they do so. Quinn and Sam just think they're a bunch of cowards, and they just tune them out. Finn and his cronies are the only ones stupid enough to confront Quinn and Sam. It seems like Karofsky hasn't learn his lesson, but he's mindful enough to always confront the Fabray siblings with backup.

Quinn is in such a high that she pretty much ignores them and lets it all slide-off her back, not allowing their childish behavior to ruin her good mood.

The glee clubbers take turns performing the rest of the night. When Rachel performs, Quinn just stares at her through the entire performance. Even though she's seen and heard Rachel performs so many times, she's still blown away each and every time. She has no doubt that Rachel's going to make it. She's just so good.

After her friends' performance, she waits for Rachel at the end of the stage. The brunette comes down beaming from the high of being on stage.

"You were awesome as usual." Quinn gushes at the diva. She cannot help fangirling Rachel. She's usually more reserved than this and can better contain her excitement, but the whole prom environment is making her do things she doesn't normally do.

"What about the rest of us, Fabray? Berry wasn't the only one singing up there." Santana snarls at her from behind Rachel.

"You were alright, S." Quinn offers the Latina and quickly turns back to Rachel, ignoring the eye roll that the Latina gives her.

"Thank you, Quinn. I'm glad you enjoyed that."

"Let's go dance." Brittany announces from out of nowhere and drags Quinn and Santana to the dance floor where a few other students are already dancing to an upbeat music. Quinn grabs Rachel's hand before Brittany pulls her away from the smaller girl, and drags her to the dance floor with them.

They dance as a group, doing silly moves and just having lots of fun with their friends. Brittany and Mike are doing crazy dance moves that Puck, Sam, and Quinn tries to emulate but fail miserably. They do succeed in entertaining their friends who are cheering at their effort and funny moves.

Amidst all the laughter, the music transitions into a slow dance and the lighting in the gym gets dimmer, creating a more romantic ambience. Their friends break off into couples and pairs, leaving Quinn and Rachel standing in front of each other in the middle of the dance floor with dancing couples surrounding them. They look at each other awkwardly.

Quinn wants to dance with Rachel but she doesn't know if the other girls want to, and she's scared to ask because of that. She swallows the lump on her throat along with some of her nerves and goes for it.

"Uuuhh… Do you wanna like… uuummm… dance with me?" The blonde manages to stutter out, internally cringing at how she sounds. She doesn't sound as smooth as she planned in her head.

Rachel smiles at the adorable and obviously nervous blonde. She takes the few steps closer to Quinn and wraps her arms loosely around the blushing blonde's neck. "I thought you'd never ask."

Quinn gulps at the brunette's actions. She likes being this close to Rachel, but she also cannot help the nerves from flowing through her, rendering her speechless and clumsy. She doesn't want to make the wrong move and mess this up, so she allows the brunette to take the lead. She hesitantly positions her hands on the smaller girl's waist and they start swaying together to the music.

"I've never slow danced with a girl before." Rachel admits as they continue moving together.

They're not going to win any dancing award or anything, but it doesn't matter to either girl. They're so lost in each other that they're completely oblivious to the angry glares from the quarterback and a few disgusted looks from his football cronies.

"Me neither." Quinn reveals.

"Really?" Rachel asks, surprised to hear that.

"Yea." Quinn confirms. "I never felt the need to slow dance with anyone, and this is the first event like this that I've been to… like an event that has slow dancing, you know." Quinn continues to explain.

Rachel smiles at how cute the blonde is being. The blonde's reputation of being a badass player is a stark contrast to the girl she's getting to know and standing before her, and she feels so honored to be able to see this side of Quinn.

"Then, I feel special then."

"You are special." Quinn whispers unintentionally, and when she realizes what she just said, she quickly shuts her mouth. She hopes that the brunette didn't catch that but judging from the brunette's facial expression, she heard her.

The blonde opens her mouth to take her words back but closes it when no words come out. She doesn't want to take it back and based on her track record, she knows she'll say something really stupid if she speaks, so she decides to wait for the brunette to say something first.

Rachel is surprised at the blonde's words but she also melted at how honest it is. Even the blonde looks shocked for saying it, and it only makes her heart melt even more at the adorableness of Quinn Fabray, completely not at all a tough and bad ass girl, at least right at this moment.

They stare at each other's eyes intensely, and stop moving to the music. Rachel licks her lips and Quinn glances at her mouth and then back to her eyes. They slowly inch closer to each other. Their eyes start to droop close when they get closer, but before their lips can connect, a strong hand on Rachel's arm pulls her away from the blonde's embrace.

"What the fuck, Rachel? What was that?" Finn screams, furious at the sight that was happening before him. It looked to him like they were going to kiss and he wasn't going to let that happen, so he sprinted to the two girls and ripped them apart.

He turns to the baffled and annoyed blonde. "You! Stay away from her!"

Quinn is definitely mad now. Not only did the quarterback ruin her moment with Rachel, he also interrupted their almost kiss. They were this close and she can almost feel the brunette's lips on her own, and now he's commanding her to stay away from the brunette.

"Who do you think you are telling me what to do?" Quinn fires back at the significantly taller boy, but she's not afraid of him. The bigger they are the harder they fall, and she cannot wait to bring him down really hard.

"I'm the quarterback, and you're nothing but a loser."

Rachel shakes her hand out of Finn's grip and moves to stand next to the seething blonde. She knows that Quinn is quickly losing it. The blonde's fists are clenched so tight and her knuckles are turning white.

They're drawing a crowd, but the adults/teachers who are supposed to monitor this event are nowhere in sight. She grabs the blonde's hand and rubs her other hand on the blonde's arm in an effort to calm her down and whispers to just let it go to the blonde, hoping to talk her out of a fight.

Rachel's extremely annoyed at Finn as well, and he deserves whatever retribution Quinn is planning in her head, but this is not the time or the place for this. She reminds herself that she's also against any types of violence even against the deserving ones.

Puck, Sam, Santana, and Mike are now standing between the two girls and Finn, providing a shield for their friends and trying to stop a fight from breaking out. They just really want to protect their friends from Finn and his football buddies who are now standing behind him.

"You need to back-off man." Puck tells the football player, pushing Finn on his shoulders and making the taller boy take a step back.

"Shut up, Puck. Stay out of this." Finn yells at him, focusing on the blonde who has Rachel standing too closely to her and rubbing her arm and whispering words into her ears. He doesn't like that at all. She belongs to him and that blonde punk is taking his girl away from him.

"Finnept, move the fuck off or I'll go all Lima Heights on you, and I ain't holding back." Santana growls at the tall boy.

Finn actually gulps at hearing the Latina's threat, but he doesn't want people to think he's scared of her and that he's backing down for a girl, even if that girl is Santana Freaking Lopez. He stands his ground. The tension is so heavy, and no one says a thing. They're all just waiting to see who will make the first move.

"What is going on here?" Mr. Schuester steps into the crowd, standing between his glee kids. He looks at the members of his glee club for answers but no one says a thing. He knows there is some type of feud going on, but he's just not sure what it is.

"Well whatever it is, it needs to end. You guys are up on stage next. Go get ready." He continues after no one steps in to explain the situation. He glares at the glee guys who are performing up on stage next when everyone remains in place, still unmoving.

Finn relents first. He scowls at Quinn one more time, and then turns to walks towards the stage. The rest of the guys follow him shortly.

"That went well." Santana announces, turning to her friends. She's somewhat disappointed that she doesn't get a chance to lay a hand on Finnept, but she's also relieved. Dealing with the aftermath is never fun, and she will rather spend all her time tonight with Brittany.

"Thank you for your assistance, Santana." Rachel addresses the Latina. This is probably the first time she's seen the Latina come to the defense of somebody other than Brittany. She and Quinn must be really good friends.

"Don't ever mention it. Seriously, don't." Santana insists. She grabs Brittany's hand who gives Rachel and Quinn a reassuring smile, and they leave the two girls behind in the same spot.

Quinn rubs her temples with her thumbs. She cautiously looks at the brunette who's still standing beside her with her hands on her arm, and sees the concern etched in the brunette's face. She gives her a small smile to assure her that she's fine and calm now, and lets out a deep sigh.

"Thanks." Quinn mumbles.

"I think this is a good time to take a break. Shall we go find someplace to sit?" Rachel offers. She doesn't think it's best to discuss what just happened right now. She hates that Finn is creating issues for the blonde because of her. She needs to figure out a way to let him understand that they are never ever getting back together, but for now, she's going to enjoy the rest of her night with Quinn.

Quinn nods in response and the brunette leads her to the seating area. They stay quiet for the most part, sipping on their water bottles, watching their friends perform on stage, and clapping for them after their numbers.

Rachel gets up from her seat, and Quinn gives her a questioning look.

"Ladies room."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Quinn offers, not wanting to let the brunette out of her sight, especially with the Finn incident earlier. She sees the tall boy performing up on stage, and she relaxes a bit knowing that he will not be able to bother the diva if he's singing right now.

"No, I'll be fine, Quinn. If I'm not back in ten minutes, call 911." Rachel teases the protective blonde and gives her wink before walking away.

Quinn grins at the brunette and watches her walk away, admiring the view of the brunette's assets from the back. She already feels a whole lot better.

* * *

Rachel finishes up in the ladies room, and when she walks out the door, she's startled to find Finn waiting for her outside. She tries to ignore him and walks around him to get back to the gym, but he blocks her path.

She looks up at him and frowns at his action. "Move out of my way, Finn. I would really like to get back to prom." She can also smell alcohol on his breath. She wonders how Puck managed to spike the punch when Coach Sylvester is guarding it the entire evening.

"Rachel, you're not even gay." He ignores her and walks closer to her.

Rachel backs away from him until her back hits the wall behind her. "And how do you know that? What if I am? Besides, that is none of your business, Finn." She challenges him even though it doesn't sound like a good idea in this situation, especially when she has nowhere to go, and he is obviously intoxicated.

"She's a freak, and she's messing with your head. You need to stay away from her before you get corroded or something. How can you even stand her?" Finn rambles on, yelling at her and hovering over her dangerously close.

He's flailing his long arms around and Rachel is nervous that he might hit her.

Quinn rounds the corner, looking for the brunette. She's taking longer than what she had said, and Quinn's getting worried. She spots Finn standing too close to the small brunette, trapping her against the wall and clumsily waving his arms around. She can hear him yelling at the small brunette, throwing insults about her, and the brunette looks scared.

Seeing and hearing all these brings her anger back and she doesn't think. She just acts, and runs towards them. She harshly pushes Finn away and punches him right in the face. He falls back on the ground, yelping in pain from the unexpected strong blow to his face.

Rachel quickly pulls Quinn away from the fallen boy before he can recover and retaliate or before the blonde can attack him again. Quinn may be strong, but Finn is still taller and bigger. She doesn't want this fight to happen, especially not tonight. She leads Quinn into the empty and dimly lit choir room. She peeks out to check if Finn followed them, but the halls are clear. She closes the door behind them.

"Rach, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit him but..." Quinn starts explaining, hoping that the brunette isn't mad at her for punching Finn out of nowhere.

"Are you hurt?" Rachel stops the blonde's apology and gently holds her hand up to inspect it.

Quinn's knuckles are a little red. It will probably bruise and it stings, but nothing major. "Uumm... I'm ok." She replies, not expecting the brunette to be concerned about her well-being. She expects a lecture against violence, so the brunette's reaction really surprises her.

Rachel studies the blonde's hand and is relieved to see no signs of significant injuries. She softly rubs circles on the blonde's bruised knuckles with her thumb, trying to sooth the pain.

The action sends shivers down the blonde's spine. It feels so intimate. She gazes at the shorter girl standing in front of her. Her heart starts to beat faster seeing the beautiful brunette, who glances up at her and they take each other in, unable to look away.

Quinn is drawn to the girl and she cannot help it. She leans closer to the brunette, having a strong urge to kiss her, all common sense flying out the window. Rachel surprises her again when she closes the gap between them, their lips finally meeting the first time.

Quinn feels butterflies fluttering inside her from the feel of the brunette's soft lips, and she wraps her arms around the smaller girl's waist, pulling her closer to her body.

Rachel gets goose bumps from how good it feels to finally kiss the blonde, and she instinctively hooks her arms around the blonde's neck. Quinn's height is just perfect and she doesn't have to strain too much to kiss her unlike with her exes. Their bodies fit together perfectly like they're made for each other.

They start slow but when Rachel moans, something inside of Quinn snaps and they start making out heatedly, tongues dueling. Quinn is in heaven. This is one of the best things she's ever experienced. Rachel tangles her hands in the blonde's now messy hair, drawing a contented groan from the taller girl. Quinn's hands find their way to the shorter girl's perfect ass.

Quinn moves their flushed bodies forward, keeping a strong hold on the smaller girl as they blindly search for someplace to sit or lean against in the dark choir room, still lost in each other's lips. They walk into the drum set, sending the cymbals crashing to the floor, starling the two girls and they pull their lips apart, but their arms stay around each other.

"I think we need to slow down." Rachel half-heartedly says. It's the logical thing to do but her body is definitely not agreeing.

"Yea… Ok. Slow." Quinn stutters breathlessly.

They keep their eyes on each other, and quickly forgetting about what taking things slow, they connect their lips again and continue kissing with Quinn trying to move them towards the piano, but Rachel trips on the wirings on the floor, disconnecting their lips and knocking a few more instruments off their stands.

Quinn is able to keep her strong hold on the brunette, preventing her from falling to the ground, and Rachel hangs on to the blonde's neck for balance. They survey the damage around them. Some of the guitars are face down on the floor and parts of the drum set are lying on the ground. Mr. Schue is definitely not going to be happy when he sees this on Monday.

"We really need to slow down." Rachel manages to speak out, resting her forehead against the blondes.

"We need to do that more often. That was freaking hot." Quinn states with a wide grin on her face.

"Your romantic side is extremely appealing." Rachel sarcastically tells her, pushing Quinn away from her, but the smirk on her face tells Quinn that she's teasing her.

"You're not supposed to be here."

A loud firm voice startles them, and a teacher is standing at the door, eyeing them warily. They take a few more steps apart, blushing at getting caught.

"You need to get back to the gym right now."

They shuffle out of the room and down the hall, away from the teacher and the choir room. They burst out into laughter when they get far enough.

"Do you want to maybe go get some food?" Quinn chokes out when their laughter die down. She's actually hungry now. She also doesn't want to face Finn again tonight, and they have finished their performances for the evening.

"I would like that, Quinn. I'm not in the mood to go back to prom anyway."

"Uuhh… I guess we can walk to that diner. Is it too far from here?" Quinn scratches her head when she realizes that she doesn't have her car since they shared a limo with their friends. It's probably not a good idea to take the limo away.

"It's not at all that far. It's merely a few blocks away."

"Let's go them. I'm famished." Quinn offers her arm to Rachel, and she hooks her own over the blonde's and they make their way to the diner.

* * *

Rachel is right. The walk to the diner is quick. It is only a couple of blocks away. The place is almost empty this time of the evening, and they find a secluded booth in one corner of the diner. They quickly order their food and Quinn scruffs down her burger as soon as their meals are served.

"You look like you haven't eaten in days, Quinn. Slow down and chew your food."

Quinn glares at her and mockingly says, "Yes, mother."

Rachel shakes her head at the obviously hungry blonde who's not slowing down in consuming her food. She picks at her salad, taking her time and savoring the taste of her meal, unlike the person sitting across from her. She's also not as hungry as the blonde.

"Is your food not good?" Quinn wonders since the brunette is eating really slowly.

"It is absolutely tasty. You want to try some?"

Quinn scrunches her face in disgust. She prefers her bacon and beef over fake meat. "Nah. I'll pass."

"It's not going to kill you if you give it a try." Rachel forces her fork closer to the blonde's mouth, and the blonde tries to move away from the unsavory looking food that the brunette is force feeding her. She clenches her mouth shut to make her point that she really doesn't want to try it.

Quinn moves as far away from the brunette's reach as she can without leaving the booth. "I don't wanna." Quinn whines and crosses her arms on her chest, pouting like a child.

"Stop acting like a baby." Rachel points out.

"Stop forcing me to try it."

"Fine." The brunette drops her fork back on her plate and throws her hands up. Quinn can be really stubborn, but she looks too adorable pouting like this.

"We should make out again." Quinn suggests out of the blue. Her pout is now replaced with a mischievous grin.

"We should not." Rachel responds seriously, trying to keep a straight face.

"Why not? Did you not like it?" The blonde asks uncertainly. She's almost positive that the brunette felt the same way but she may be wrong in assuming that. To her, the kiss was awesome. Wonderful. Amazing.

"It was nice." Rachel downplays the kiss when in reality she really thinks it was mind blowing and she will not mind doing it again, but also she will not admit it to the blonde just yet.

"Just nice? Well, they say that practice makes perfect, so we should practice more. Turn that nice into awesome." Quinn suggests, wiggling her eyebrows at the brunette. If the brunette doesn't think their earlier kiss was awesome, then she's sure going to try again and prove the brunette wrong.

"I don't randomly make-out with my friends, Quinn. You need to take me out on a date before we can do that again." Rachel tells her.

"And here I thought you were easy." Quinn says sarcastically, teasing the brunette. Of course, Rachel isn't easy. If the amount of effort she's expected to do just to get the brunette to agree to go on a date with her is any indication, then Rachel's definitely a challenge.

"Keep that up, Fabray, and there may not be a first date."

"Doesn't tonight count as a date?"

"Nope. We went to prom as friends remember?"

"Fine. Can I take you out on a date? Not as friends?" Quinn tries again, but not really expecting a positive response because the brunette had made it clear that she wants the whole nine yards of courtship and asking her out on a date in a diner probably doesn't count as a grand gesture.

"No, thank you."

"Can you just give me a break?" Quinn whines again, but she's not put off by her negative response this time around. She still internally groans at the brunette for making her work for this.

Quinn was never turned down this many times before by anyone. Yes, it's only twice – so far – but still, that's one too many times. She also never met anyone like Rachel before. If she was some other girl, Quinn will have thrown in the towel and moved on, but Rachel's different. She's special.

"Where's the fun in that?" Rachel challenges her with a playful grin.

Quinn smirks at the smaller girl's challenge. This time is definitely different. She now knows that there's a high chance that the brunette likes her enough to stick around. She did kiss her back and it was hot. That knowledge is enough motivation for her to pursue the brunette. She's not running away this time. If the end result is being able to make out with Rachel like tonight, then all the trouble in wooing her will be worth it.

"What's going through that brain of yours, Fabray?"

Quinn gives her a wide toothy grin. "Be prepared to be wooed by yours truly, Berry."

"What are you planning, Quinn?" The brunette curiously asks. She's thrilled that Quinn's not backing out or running away from her this time.

"You'll just to wait and see."

Rachel takes a sip of her drink, eyeing the blonde warily. She's not sure if she should be excited or nervous. She wants to trust that the blonde knows what she's doing, but she's friends with Santana and Puck. What good ideas in proper courtship can they offer the blonde?

Maybe Santana may be able to give some proper advice since she was able to convince Brittany to date her or perhaps, Brittany is just too nice and easy going. In any case, she definitely cannot wait to see what the blonde has in mind.

They enjoy their meal talking about everything and anything, and share their usual playful bickering and bantering. After their meals, Quinn sneakily pays for their food again to the brunette's annoyance.

"Quinn, I was supposed to pay for our meal."

"You pay next time."

"That's what you said the last time."

"Well, it's too late. Don't worry about it, ok? My treat."

"Fine. I'm paying next time or else I'll never have dinner with you again." Rachel huffs, giving her an ultimatum.

"I'll make sure you get to pay next time. I promise." Quinn appeases the brunette. She wants to be able to have dinner and lunch and snacks and anything with the brunette again and as many times as she can, so if Rachel insists on paying, then she'll let her pay next time.

"Good." Rachel is annoyed that the blonde decides to pay for her again, but she's also impressed at the blonde's thoughtfulness. Quinn can be such a gentleman, or in this case, gentlewoman.

* * *

Quinn walks Rachel home from the diner. It's only a few blocks away. It seems like everything in Lima is within reasonable walking distance. They stay quiet during their walk, enjoying the peaceful spring evening. They steal shy glances with each other every once in a while.

Quinn instantly notices that Rachel is limping a little bit after a block of walking. "Are you ok?" She asks, voice dripping with concern.

"I'm fine. It's my shoes. They're not made for walking, so if you don't mind, can we walk a little slower?" Rachel replies sheepishly. She didn't think about breaking in her new high heels prior to tonight and now she's suffering because of it. She tries to ignore the discomfort in her feet and not allow it to ruin this perfect evening, but it's getting too painful to ignore after hours of wearing it.

"Hop on my back. I'll carry you."

"Pardon?" Rachel is not expecting that at all. Quinn's reply surprises her and she's not sure if she heard the blonde right.

"I'll carry you home. On my back." Quinn tells her again, slower this time to ensure that the smaller girl hears her clearly.

"But I'm heavy. What if I hurt your back?" Rachel protests. No one's ever offered to carry her before.

"I'm really strong. I promise I'll be fine." Quinn insists.

"I don't know. I really do not want to hurt you, Quinn." Rachel is still unconvinced. She knows she's not that heavy. Still, the blonde may be strong but she lives a few more blocks away and she's a lot of weight to carry for anyone that's not six-feet or taller.

"How about we try it for a block and if I can't do it, I'll admit you were right and you can tell me 'I told you so' and rub it in my face." Quinn negotiates. Nothing drives her up the wall more than people proving and telling her that's she wrong, but she'll take that gamble with the smaller girl because she's confident enough that she will not lose this one.

Rachel thinks about it for minute, studying the blonde who looks very serious and determined. She figures it's a good arrangement, and it sounds like a win-win situation for her. "Ok, fine." She gives in, taking her shoes off and dangling them in her hand.

Quinn turns around so her back is to the brunette and crouches down to allow the brunette to jump on her back.

Rachel hesitates. She's still not sure if this is a good idea, but walking barefoot on the unsanitary and germ-filled street or walking with the uncomfortable heels is worst, so she slowly leans her body flush against the blonde's back and snakes her arms around the blonde's shoulder.

"Ready?" Quinn checks, trying to sound as calm as possible. She can feel the brunette's breast on her back and it's making her feel stuff. She slowly inhales and exhales to calm herself down and forces images of dead puppies and kittens into her mind as a distraction.

"I believe so." Rachel nervously answers. She tightens her arms around the blonde, readying herself to be lifted up and holding her breath. She hopes the blonde doesn't drop her. She starts doubting the blonde's strength.

Quinn slowly moves up, lifting the brunette off the ground. "Pull your legs up around my waist." She instructs, and the brunette reluctantly does so.

Quinn holds on to the brunette's thighs, securing her grip to ensure that the brunette will not fall off or she will not accidentally drop the girl on her back. The brunette is not heavy at all and it takes her little effort to carry the smaller girl.

"See. No problem." Quinn tells the girl on her back.

"Just don't drop me." Rachel warns her, pushing away from the blonde's back so there's some space between their bodies.

"I'll try not to." Quinn teases her.

Rachel glares at her even though the blonde is facing away from her.

"I know you're glaring at me."

"Whatever. Are we going to stand here all night?" Rachel rolls her eyes at the blonde.

Quinn chuckles but starts walking effortlessly. She focuses on the dead kittens and puppies for most of the walk to avoid any embarrassing situation. Every other block, the brunette will ask her if she's ok or if she needs a break and Quinn tells her that she's fine each time.

"Are you ok, Quinn? Do you need a break?" Rachel asks again for the third time.

Quinn rolls her eyes at the brunette. "Rach, just relax. I've got it covered."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Look, if I need a break, I'll let you know, ok?"

"Alright, but you speak up if you experience any discomfort, ok?"

Quinn nods and giggles at how the brunette worded her statement. It sounds so clinical.

Rachel lightly slaps the blonde's arm when she giggles at her request. "Hush you. I mean it, Quinn." She says as seriously as she can.

Quinn hums her response, enjoying the brunette's closeness.

Rachel eventually accepts that the blonde is really fine. Quinn's not even breaking out a sweat, and Rachel finally allows herself to relax. She leans further down, pressing her body closer to the blonde's back, and sets her chin on Quinn's shoulder, resting her head against the side of Quinn's head.

Rachel analyzes the situation that she's in right now. Quinn is so chivalrous. None of the guys she dated before had ever been considerate enough to do something like this for her. Jesse will probably scold her for not wearing comfortable shoes in the first place and to suck it up since it's her fault, and Finn will be completely oblivious to her discomfort and limping.

Quinn does her best to focus on where she's going and keeping a firm hold on the brunette. She's getting a little flustered, not because of Rachel's weight but because of her closeness.

The brunette's breath is tickling her neck and it makes her knees weak, sending shivers down her spine. Her grip on the singer's tone and sexy legs is not helping her keep her heart rate at a normal beat and she feels like her heart's going to jump out of her chest any time soon. She takes a long deep breathe and exhales slowly to stay calm and collected, repeating the process over and over again.

The walk to the Berry home is quiet. Quinn's too busy with her deep breathing and Rachel is enjoying being this close to the blonde.

Quinn manages to get Rachel home without making a fool of herself or hurting either of them. She didn't trip on her own feet or accidentally drop the smaller girl, so she gives herself a mental pat on the back for getting through the internally challenging walk.

"Home sweet home." Quinn announces as she slowly sets the brunette back down to her feet in front of the Berry's front door. The house is dark with only the porch lights on, but there's a car in the driveway, so Rachel's dad is home and most likely already asleep at this time. She feels better knowing that the brunette will not be home alone in an empty house tonight.

"Thank you, Quinn." Rachel thanks her as she unlocks and opens the front door. "I had a very lovely night." She adds shyly, unsure of how to end the night.

"The pleasure's all mine, Rachel. Thanks for going to prom with me." Quinn says, not really wanting to leave just yet but also knowing that it's best to leave.

Quinn hesitates but she gives the brunette a quick peck on her cheek and moves to leave, but Rachel quickly grabs her tie and pulls her back in, connecting their lips together for a proper goodnight kiss.

Rachel enjoys kissing the blonde and it's probably one of the best things in life. It may sound like an exaggeration but she doesn't think she's stretching the truth. Kissing Quinn makes her feel things she's never felt before and it makes her happy. Finn is sloppy and Jesse is overpowering and controlling, but Quinn is just perfect – soft, gentle, and balanced.

Quinn has a goofy smile on her face when they pull back. She cannot believe her luck. She got to kiss Rachel twice tonight, and she feels like she's on cloud nine.

"There will be no more of that until you take me out on a proper date." Rachel tells her with a playful smirk on her face.

Quinn nods hastily, still smiling happily at how the evening had turned out. She adorably salutes the brunette, and acknowledges her order. "Yes ma'am."

Rachel chuckles at the blonde's antics. The blonde can be so cute sometimes. "Goodnight, Quinn."

The blonde walks away backwards, keeping her eyes on the brunette, grinning like a fool.

"Text me when you're safely home?" Rachel asks and waves goodbye at the retreating blonde.

Quinn gives her two thumbs up in acknowledgement, and Rachel shakes her head at the blonde, walking inside her house and closing the door behind her after one last look at Quinn.

Quinn turns towards her own house as soon as Rachel closes the door. She's in a blissful haze right now. She's definitely sure that she has a chance with the singer, and she will not back down this time. She's going to need everyone's help. She'll ask Brittany and maybe even her parents for some pointers. They've been happily married for many years. Surely they will have some sound advice for her.

Quinn happily skips home, planning her next move to woo the singer.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading._


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author's Notes:_**

_If you followed me in tumblr before this week, you'll need to re-follow me again. I made some changes there. My username's still the same – up1nDclouds. I usually just post personal stuff on there and random stuff that inspires me, and there's very little fangirling. I should also say that I'm not a naturally romantic person. Just ask my girlfriend and she'll back me up on that, but I did my best in this, and hope that it's sufficient enough to be believable and relatable._

_Is anyone still watching Glee? I have pretty much given up on it. I have no idea what is going on in the show, and what I've seen from tumblr – reactions and opinions – doesn't sound too good. Oh wellz… I guess I'll stick with fanfiction. :)_

_This is rushed, so forgive my mistakes and typos, because I didn't get a chance to re-read this. I apologize for the delay. Real life's really hectic, but I've already written half of the next chapter so I should be able to update sooner. Enjoy and thank you for reading._

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I do not claim to own Glee. I'm just borrowing the characters and other stuff in there for fun. No profits are being made here._

* * *

**[ Chapter 10 ]**

Quinn wakes up the day after prom unusually perky. She's out of bed bright and early, and cannot seem to wipe the smile off her face. She even has a skip in her step. She's showered and dress by 8AM, and heads downstairs for breakfast, whistling a happy tune.

Judy and Grammy are sitting on the stools next to the kitchen island, sipping their tea, while Russell is cooking breakfast – eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

They turn to the whistling young blonde entering the kitchen. Russell and Judy give her a surprised look, not expecting any of the teens to be awake at this time, especially after prom night. Grammy just gives her a knowing smile and turns back to sipping her tea as if nothing out of ordinary just occurred.

"Someone is unusually chipper this morning." Judy raises a well-sculpted eyebrow, the same way as Quinn does.

"What are you doing up so early, kiddo?" Russell inquires, returning back to his cooking. He throws in additional strips of bacon in the pan for Quinn.

Quinn shrugs, pulling out the carton of orange juice from the fridge and pouring herself a glass. "Do you need any help, daddy?"

Judy gasps at her daughter's words. "Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Everybody knows that Quinn avoids housework like the plague and always finds excuses not to do it every chance she gets.

"Mom! You're overreacting."

"Your mother is right. Where's my daughter?" Russell echoes, teasing the young blonde.

Quinn rolls her eyes at her parents. "I'm not that bad."

"Yes, you are." Russell and Judy say at the same time.

Quinn huffs and decides to ignore her parents. She moves her attention to the breakfast platter before her. She grabs a plate and using her fingers, she starts piling crispy and delicious looking strips of bacon on to her plate.

Russell playfully swats his daughter's hand with the ladle he's holding, intentionally missing her hand. "Be patient, kiddo. Let me finish." He scolds and moves the plate of cooked food to the other side, away from the young blonde.

Quinn manages to snag a couple more strips before the plate's moved out of her reach. She happily munches on the few pieces on her plate, taking a seat on the stool next to her mom.

Judy slings an arm around her daughter and pulls her in for a sloppy kiss on the young blonde's cheek.

"Mom." Quinn whines, flailing her arms, trying to move away from her mother.

"It's so nice to see my baby girl so happy." Judy gushes, finally letting her daughter go. Quinn's usually very moody or indifferent, and to see her genuinely blissful is making her emotional. This was the Quinn before her brother passed away, and she misses her carefree baby girl.

"We presume you had a very good evening with Rachel?" Grammy asks, even though she already knows the answer based on the young blonde's good mood this early in the morning.

Quinn nods with a wide smile while chewing on the last strips of bacon that she was able to swipe.

"That's great, honey. Rachel seems nice." Judy says. She hasn't seen anyone make her daughter this happy before, and just for that fact, she likes the little brunette even more.

"She is wonderful, mom." Quinn admits, a dreamy smile etches on her face as she thinks of the brunette.

Santana walks in with Brittany, the Latina rubbing the sleep off her eyes, catching the last part of the conversation. "Who's nice and wonderful? Me?"

"Rachel." Russell answers.

"What? The high maintenance and annoyingly loud dwarf? No fucking way!" Santana protests.

"Shut up, S." Quinn frowns at the Latina, her words wiping the smile off her face. Santana always has a bad habit of bursting her happy bubble. She's reconsidering their friendship and right now, she cannot seem to think of any good reason why they're friends in the first place.

"Rachel's nice. I like her." Brittany says.

"Thank you, Britts." Quinn tells her cousin, but keeps her glare at the Latina.

"You and the midget disappeared on us last night. Did you finally tap that and got a taste of the Berry juice?" Santana asks with a smirk.

"OH MY GOD. My parents and grandmother are in the room. Must you be so crude?" Quinn squeals, turning bright red.

"Damn, you even sound like her now. You're spending too much time with the diva."

"No, I don't." Quinn stomps her feet as best she can since she's sitting on the stool.

"Yea, you do. 'Must you be so crude?' That's such a Berry thing to say." Santana mimics the blonde's words, trying to sound like Rachel and resting her hands on her hips like Rachel. "You don't normally talk like that, Q. Am I right Mama J? Papa Russ?" She turns to the Fabrays who are watching their entire interaction.

Brittany's already decorating the pancakes that Russell served her with whipped cream and fruits, giving the center pancake a face. Quinn and Santana are always trying to annoy each other, so it's nothing new to her. She focuses on finishing her masterpiece so she can start eating it.

"She's right, kiddo." Russell replies and Judy nods in agreement.

"I'm your daughter. You're supposed to be on my side." Quinn whines at her parents.

"Well, we're not so sure. You're acting really weird, like are you really our daughter? Maybe you're an alien look alike." Russell jokes.

"Sam would appreciate that alien joke more than me. Where is he anyway?" Quinn finally notices that her brother is missing. It's possible that he's still in bed since it's still too early for him.

"We dropped him and Mercedes off at her place. He might still be there." Brittany replies with a mouth full of pancakes.

"Our son better not give us another grandchild." Russell comment and Judy's face falls at the thought.

"Oh my god, my babies are growing up too fast." Judy says, tears forming in her eyes at the realization that her children are now adults.

"Now now, darling. At least, we're no longer bailing them out from jail." Russell looks at the bright side of things, consoling his wife by rubbing her back.

"Mama J, Papa Russ… You guys are damn awesome." Santana smirks at the Fabray's. She turns her attention back to Quinn, and asks again. "So did you do the deed? Berry's kinda hot if you can overlook her personality and horrible fashion sense." She is very much enjoying pushing the shorter blonde's buttons, seeing how far she can take it before Quinn punches her.

"That's none of your business." Quinn dismisses without looking at the Latina. She's munching the last bits of bacon on her plate, trying to enjoy it but failing because of the Latina's grilling.

"Berry making you work for it ha?" Santana snickers.

"She deserves better and more than… tapping." Quinn mutters more to herself but Santana hears her clearly.

"Damn, you gots it real bad." Santana shakes her head at how whipped her friend is.

"I love how they just forget that we're here listening in and they don't even care." Judy whispers to Russell and Grammy, and they nod in agreement, keeping their ears open to catch every word exchanged by the teenagers.

"Daddy, is the food ready? I'm hungry." Quinn demands, deflecting the topic of conversation away from her and Rachel.

"Oh our Quinnie is back. Too bad that happy and chirpy Quinn didn't last long." Russell teases, and starts serving everyone more pancakes, eggs, and bacon as they settle down on the stools around the kitchen island.

"So what's going with you and Rachel, Q?" Brittany asks between bites. She's actually curious and thinks that her cousin and Rachel will make a really cute couple. She looks forward to double dates.

"I need help in wooing her." Quinn says, barely a whisper.

"What?" Russell asks straining to hear her.

"How do you woo a girl like Rachel?" Quinn speaks out clearler this time.

"Woo? Who uses that word nowadays? What are you like 90? No offense Grammy." Santana says.

Grammy smacks Santana on the back of her head and Santana yelps in surprise. It doesn't really hurt but it was just unexpected and she wasn't prepared for it.

"I'm not that old, Santana." Grammy firmly says, clenching her fists to show that she may be older than the rest of them but she can totally still kick ass.

"Sorry." Santana sheepishly apologizes. She positive that Grammy is can definitely kick anyone's ass, but she doesn't want to personally find out and on the receiving end of Grammy's fists.

"Quinnie, that's so sweet of you to do the right thing with Rachel." Judy says. "But don't listen to your father. He doesn't have a clue on proper courtship. I had to make all the moves."

"Really?" Quinn is surprised to hear that.

"Yes, he couldn't even ask me out. He was sputtering nonsense and I had to step in and just ask him myself, and all he did was nod. Then he took me to a fast food restaurant. How tacky is that. The next time he took me out, he took me to the arcade center, and I just stood there watching him play some shooting game. I was bored to death."

"He must have done something right?" Quinn wonders because those dates do not sound impressive at all. If she does that with Rachel, she's almost positive that Rachel's going to slap her and never talk to her again.

"Remember that one time when I had to bail you two out of jail, Judy?" Grammy asks.

"Oh yes. We were at dinner. This time at a nicer place, thank god. When we were done, the valet parker even brought the car to the front for us. Russell was so sweet, opening the door for me to HIS car. A few blocks away, throngs of police cars surrounded us. It turns out, it wasn't his car and what was worst, the police found a significant amount of illegal drugs in the trunk. I had to spend my evening sitting in a jail cell and had to hire a lawyer. It was not a pleasant experience. Needless to say, my parents banned me from ever going out with Russell again after that."

"And yet, you still married him." Quinn says flatly, rolling her eyes at her parents.

"It wasn't even my fault. It was the valet parker's mistake." Russell weakly defends, flushing from the embarrassing story he was hoping to forget, but his wife never fails to bring it up every chance she gets. She's lucky he loves her to put up with it, but on the other hand, he's lucky that she stayed with him.

They are all laughing at a flushing Russell. Judy walks up to him and hugs her husband and gives him a sweet kiss to his cheek. "But I love this man, despite all his flaws."

Russell gives his wife a loving smile and confirms to himself that yup, he's indeed the lucky one.

The teens oh and aw at the married couple who are obviously still in love even after all these years.

Quinn beams at her parents proudly, hoping to also find a love like theirs, but she remembers that she needs some advice. "I still need some ideas with Rachel."

"Give her gifts and stuff. Every girl loves that. It always makes me feel warm inside when San gives me cute little gifts." Brittany suggests, remembering all the sweet things that her girlfriend did for her and gave her.

The Latina blushes at her girlfriend's revelation of how much of softy she is. She did try to be as discreet about it to preserve her reputation but the taller blonde just exposed her romantic side. She can't even dispute and deny it because Brittany will be sad, and she cannot stand to make Brittany sad.

Quinn smirks at the flushing Latina, and she's about to make fun of her friend but her mother speaks out.

"Just pay her plenty of attention and cater to her needs, Quinnie. That's the best way to let her know you're serious and interested in her."

"Oh god. Berry doesn't need any more reason to turn into a bigger diva." The Latina groans. "You know what the best way to the dwarf's heart is? Sing her some sappy and romantic song. Her panties will drop in a second."

"That's true. Rachel loves it when people sing to her, unless it's a bad and mean song, then she doesn't like those." Brittany agrees.

"Ok, sing her a song and gifts and lots of attention. What else?" Quinn makes a mental note of all the suggestions and ideas. This is all somewhat new to her. She knows all these things from movies and other people's experiences but she's never personally done any of those.

"I think that's more than enough to keep you busy, kiddo." Russell reins her in before she gets too carried away or gets overwhelmed with too many ideas. "Just keep it simple but meaningful and sincere. That's all you need."

"We should do a romantic comedy movie marathon. Oh, it's going to be so much fun." Brittany proclaims excitedly at the idea. She enjoys those movies and it's been a while since she's watched them. Santana always seems to have an excuse to do something else or go somewhere.

Santana holds in a groan. She doesn't want to spend her entire weekend watching lame ass vomit-inducing movies, but she caves in as soon as she sees the excited look in her girlfriend's eyes. She internally curses Quinn for putting this thought into Brittany's mind.

Quinn shrugs at the idea. Spending her weekend watching romcom movies is not her idea of a good time but desperate times call for desperate measures, so she decides to go for it. She figures, she can gain helpful insights and pointers from these movies.

* * *

Quinn wakes up extra early on Monday morning to put her plan in place. She survived the movie marathon and even meticulously took down notes of the things that she can do. In the end, she decides to keep it simple just as her dad suggested.

Rachel walks up to her locker bright and early as usual. She opens her locker to find a bouquet of mixed flowers inside with a note. The note simply has a smiley face and a letter Q at the bottom. She instantly knows who it's from. She takes a whiff of the flowers and smiles at the gesture.

They texted back and forth a few times over the weekend. Rachel's this close to forgetting about all these courtships business and just saying yes to Quinn, especially when the blonde is being sweet and adorable. She can barely remember why she's holding off in the first place. Oh right, because she doesn't want to settle, but now her resolve is slowly breaking away.

She takes a another whiff of the flowers and carefully sets them back in her locker, slowly closing her locker door to make sure the flowers are not harmed in any way. As soon as she closes her locker, Kurt arrives and starts telling her about his wonderful weekend with Blaine.

Quinn is watching the brunette from down the hall, hiding around the corner. She doesn't want the brunette to know that she's watching but she's too curious to find out how the brunette will react to the flowers she left early this morning.

She's pleasantly surprised to see the brunette smile and smell the flowers. She pumps her fist in the air at the small victory. Seeing the brunette smile makes her happy and her day is definitely off to a good start. She decides that it's time to make her presence known, and she makes her way towards Rachel and Kurt.

Rachel spots her and instantly brightens at seeing the blonde coming closer.

"Good morning, Quinn. How are you this pleasant Monday?" Rachel greets with a wide smile, completely forgetting about Kurt who has stopped talking as soon as he lost her attention.

"I'm great, Rachel. May I walk you to class today?"

"I'd like that."

Quinn takes Rachel's bag and books from her and Rachel is touched at the blonde's action. She had to ask her boyfriends to carry her things for her, and they begrudgingly did it or a few times ignored her, but with Quinn, she doesn't even have to ask.

"Right, I'm totally fine being invisible here." Kurt mutters and walks away from the two girls who don't even notice him and who seem to be lost in their own little bubble.

"I was surprised at what I found in my locker this morning." Rachel says nonchalantly as they make their way to their chemistry classroom.

"Are they ok? I wasn't sure what you liked but the lady at the flower shop said that I could never go wrong with the mixed one. If you don't like them I could just get you something else…" Quinn starts mumbling nervously, trying to explain herself.

"It's perfect, Quinn. Thank you." Rachel assures her with a smile and a hand on her arm.

"Good. I'm glad." Quinn sighs in relief and adjusts the two bags hanging on her shoulder. She was worried about getting the wrong things. She figures she's probably stressing a little too much, but she really wants to do this right. The pressure is on, but Rachel's reassurances are helping her relax a little.

Quinn leaves a box of Rachel's favorite vegan chocolates in her locker right before lunch time, and Rachel is ecstatic to find it as she stop by her locker to drop some things on her way to the lunch room.

* * *

The next day, Quinn brings Rachel her favorite tea drink and muffins from the Lima Bean. She patiently waits for the brunette by her locker. She beams as soon as she sees the brunette walking towards her.

Rachel is surprised to see Quinn this early in the morning. She knows the blonde is not a morning person so this is definitely not easy for her to do.

"I got your favorites." Quinn holds up the coffee and paper bag containing the muffins for the brunette to see.

"Quinn, that's so thoughtful. Thank you so much." Rachel is touched. No one ever thought of bringing her breakfast before. The blonde's just been exceeding all of her expectations.

Quinn portrays an air of indifference and lack of care, and that's the persona that she shows everyone and everyone knows her as, but to Rachel, she's a lot more than a pretty aloft punk girl.

Quinn once again walks her to her first class, carrying her books and bag for her.

During lunch, Rachel finds a bouquet of flowers in her locker, sunflowers. As usual, a small note is attached to it. This time it's a doddle of a sun with a smiley face and then a Q signed at the bottom. She smiles to herself, melting at how sweet the blonde can be. She carefully puts the flowers back in her locker and walks to the lunchroom, a permanent smile on her face.

* * *

The day after, Rachel finds breakfast and Quinn waiting for her again by her locker and the blondes walks her to her class, carrying her things for her just like in the previous days.

At lunch, Quinn brings her homemade vegan food that Judy made just for Rachel.

"My mom cooked this just for you. I didn't try it so I hope it's good." Quinn bashfully gives Rachel the lunch box with her mother's cooking. She prays that her mother at least made some effort to make it taste ok.

Rachel tries it and her eyes widen at the taste. It tastes really good. Judy is definitely a great cook. "This is great, Quinn. You should try some."

"Nah, I'll pass. I'll stick with my bacon burger."

"Come on. I promise it tastes great. It's your mother's cooking. You should at least try it. Please…" Rachel gives Quinn her best puppy dog eyes and a pout.

Quinn makes the mistake of looking at the diva's eyes and she knows she's instantly done. She cannot say no to Rachel especially when she looks at those eyes and pouty lips. She sighs in defeat. "Fine. Just one bite."

Rachel's puppy dog eyes and pout instantly turns into a wide grin, cheering internally at finally convincing the blonde to try some vegan food. She scoops a little bit on to the fork and proceeds to feed the blonde.

Quinn can hear Santana making the whipping sound beside her but tunes her out to focus on Rachel. She looks at her warily, still unsure, but opens her mouth and takes the offered food. As soon as the food touches her mouth, she almost moans at how good it tastes.

"Wow. I didn't expect that." Quinn admits, savoring the flavors in her mouth.

"See, vegan food isn't bad at all." Rachel smugly tells her, feeding herself a few bites of Judy's delicious vegan food.

"Either that or my mom is just a really good cook. Can I have more?" Quinn grabs her own fork, reaching to the brunette's lunch box, trying to get more. She can't get enough of it and curses herself for not trying it at home, and to think her mom made plenty for everyone.

"Nope. Your mother made this for me. Finish your bacon burger." Rachel quickly moves her lunch away from the blonde's reach, giving her a smirk.

"Just one more bite. Please please please?" Quinn begs because her mouth is watering to taste more of that vegan food her mother cooked. The first thing she's doing as soon as she gets home is to check for leftovers and if there are none, beg her mother to cook more of this deliciousness.

"Ok, one more bite." Rachel gives in and feeds Quinn another bite.

Quinn greedily takes the bite, but chews slowly to make it last as long as possible. She can't believe she's actually enjoying it, practically ignoring her juicy, greasy, and meaty goodness burger.

A tray slams down on the table and jolts them from their bubble. Finn is standing at one end of the table that the glee kids are sitting on and is glaring at Quinn. He saw Rachel feed Quinn and it makes his blood boil.

"What the fuck is your problem, Finnept? People are trying to eat here." Santana barks at the quarterback.

Finn can see that almost every person at the table is glaring at him for interrupting whatever conversations they were having with their friends, so he wisely decides to shut up and not make a scene since everyone seems to be against him at this time.

"No problem." Finn replies sharply, and sits down, turning to his lunch.

Everyone else turns back to whatever they were doing before Finn rudely slammed his tray on the table, ignoring the sulking and seething quarterback who's eating quietly in his seat.

* * *

The following day follows the same pattern. Quinn brings Rachel her breakfast, and escorts her to class, carrying her things for her. Right before lunch, Rachel finds another bouquet of flowers, daisies, in her locker. She is feeling really spoiled and doesn't know what she'd do when the blonde stops doing this for her. She tries not to get used to it but relishes all the attention and gifts from the blonde.

Quinn brings her lunch again, home cooked by Judy, and this time, Quinn has one of her own.

"I see you have been converted to vegan food." Rachel tells her with a happy grin. She cannot wait to see what Judy has made for her, and she's glad she doesn't have to share her lunch with Quinn this time. She's usually not this greedy with food, but really great vegan food is very hard to come by in Lima.

"Not a chance. I still love me some bacon, but I'm no longer opposed to vegan food, especially if it's this good. Nothing beats home cooking."

"Your mother can definitely cook. This is great." Rachel gushes as she digs in.

"Don't get used to this though coz my parents are heading back to New York next week. I doubt you'd want to eat my cooking." Quinn teases.

"I'll remember that. I don't want to miss out on making it on Broadway before I even get a chance to go to New York." Rachel teases back, giving the blonde a wink.

"Hey, my cooking is not that bad." Quinn protests at the implication that her cooking may kill Rachel's chances in Broadway.

"Oh yes, it is, sis." Sam chimes in. He's sitting beside Quinn and he's devouring the same home cooked meal that Judy made for Quinn and Rachel, but his portion is two times larger than theirs. He's a growing boy after all.

"Nobody asked you." Quinn grunts, crossing her arms against her chest.

"I had to go to the hospital when I tried one of her cooking. It was a traumatizing experience."

"I was 8 years old. You should know better than to eat anything made by an 8 year old." Quinn defends.

"You're my big sister. You're not supposed to try to kill me." Sam retorts back.

Rachel giggles at the bantering siblings.

"Hey, if you want to fight, take it outside. I'm trying to enjoy my lunch here." Santana growls at them and this shuts them up because no one stands between the Latina and her food and get away with it unscathed. Only Brittany can, but she also knows her girlfriend well enough not to disrupt her meals, especially when she's really hungry.

* * *

That evening, Rachel is sitting in her room finishing her homework when a clinking sound catches her attention. The sound stops and goes back to her homework, but there's that clinking sound again. She abandons her homework and glances around her room, looking for the source.

She follows the sound to her window. It's closed and locked. She cautiously moves closer, a little worried about what she'll find on the other side. She's home alone again tonight and her dad will not be home until tomorrow morning. The sound continues and it looks like someone is throwing rocks at her window. She peeks out and finds Quinn standing outside, holding a guitar.

Quinn smiles and waves eagerly at Rachel as soon as she sees the brunette's head peek through the closed window.

Rachel relaxes at seeing Quinn and not some murderer, and smiles at the blonde, opening up her window.

"Quinn, what are you doing here? It's 9pm."

"I want to sing you something. May I?" Quinn shyly asks, stuffing a hand in her back pocket, while the other one is still holding on to the neck of her guitar that's securely hanging from a strap around her shoulder.

"Yes, but please come in. I don't want to the neighbors to call the police." Rachel requests. Having Quinn sing to her from below her window is definitely romantic, but she's fully aware of her nosy and unpleasant neighbors who already complained about her singing too loudly a few times. She doesn't want to give them anymore reason to grumble about.

"Are you implying that my singing is that bad?" Quinn asks defensively. She's already a little on edge and nervous about this whole singing to Rachel, but she managed enough courage to get here.

"I just want to be able to see and hear you clearly." Rachel explains softly. She holds her tongue and stops the lecture on proper singing technique from coming out, knowing that this is not the time to be teasing and taunting the blonde.

"Ok. I'll come up." The brunette's explanation appeases Quinn and she nods, moving towards the front there.

Rachel sprints down her stairs, not giving the blonde any time or chance to change her mind and leave. She swings the door open, finding an anxious blonde on the other side. She pulls the blonde inside the house, closing and locking the door behind them.

"Umm… Is your dad home?" Quinn looks around the house. She's not ready to meet Rachel's dad yet.

"He's out of town, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, let's go up to my room."

Quinn relaxes a little, nods, and follows behind the brunette up to her room, and stops just inside the door.

Rachel sits on her bed facing the blonde, patiently waiting for Quinn to do what she plans to do.

"So I prepared a song for you. I was going to sing it for you in glee but I thought it would be better if I do it just for you. I mean, I know it's not grand enough since it's just you and me but I hope you don't mind and..." Quinn rambles nervously, standing in front of the brunette.

"Quinn, I understand. Go on ahead with your song." Rachel encourages with a reassuring smile.

Quinn nods and swallows the lump in her throat. She positions her guitar and starts playing for the brunette. She sings Oxygen by Colbie Caillat because Brittany says Colbie's songs fits her voice well. She knows she's no singer and she probably cannot pull off a lot of songs, but Colbie Caillat songs, she can definitely do a decent job with.

She changes the lyrics to fit her situation, changing boy to girl and so on. She thinks the song fits them well and hopes that the brunette likes it too. She practiced this song for days with the help of the gang. She's definitely ready but she's still nervous because she doesn't know how Rachel will react to it.

She manages to finish the song without messing up too badly. She swings her guitar to her back and stutters out ungracefully, "So uumm… yea… That was it. Uuhh… Hope you liked it."

Rachel gives her a sincere clap. "That was really good, Quinn." She tells her honestly.

The blonde definitely picked the right song and she sang it really well too. Rachel's impressed, and even though Quinn doesn't have the years of training like she does, she likes hearing Quinn sing. She wants to hear Quinn sing more often. She's already considering doing a duet with the blonde, but pushes it off her mind for now. She doesn't want to plan their future just yet. She reins herself in and focuses on the adorable girl in front of her.

Quinn gives her a small smile, and takes a few deep breaths and continues. "Uuhh… Rachel, may I take you out on a date?" She avoids looking at the brunette, afraid to see her reaction.

This is the moment of truth. Quinn will find out if all her efforts are enough for the brunette, and she actually doesn't know how to deal with another rejection after all that work. Waking up early is no piece of cake for her, but she gets through it the past 4 days just for Rachel. That should count for something.

Quinn is surprised when a pair of arms wraps around her neck and she looks up to see a smiling Rachel standing closely in front of her. She gulps, unable to form any words.

Rachel gets on her tip toes and kisses Quinn's cheek. She pulls back and looks her in the eyes and tells her, "Yes, Quinn. I would love to go on a date with you."

"Really?" Quinn gasps out in surprise, not expecting that answer, but definitely hoping for it.

"Yes, really." Rachel confirms with a nod.

"For sure?" The blonde still cannot believe her ears.

"Yes, for sure." The brunette confirms again.

"Like no joke?"

"If you keep this up, I just might change my mind." Rachel rolls her eyes at the blonde, keeping her arms around the taller girl's neck.

"You gotta understand. Yu didn't make this easy for me, so I have to really make sure that this is really happening." Quinn explains. She has a good reason to doubt the brunette, so the diva can't blame her for that.

"I wasn't that difficult, was I?" Rachel asks unsurely. She knows she's demanding and everyone never fails to let her know that, but she hopes she wasn't that bad.

"Yes, extremely difficult." Quinn teases the brunette but partially telling the truth as well, because really, Rachel didn't make it easy for her.

Rachel glares at her.

"But totally worth it." Quinn adds with a grin. She's completely relaxed now. All the tension and nervousness fading away now that Rachel has agreed on go on a date with her.

"Such a charmer." Rachel gives her a full smile, removing her arms from the blonde's neck and resting her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Can we make-out now?" Quinn smirks, wiggling an eyebrow at the brunette.

"And I take that back." Rachel lightly and playfully pushes the taller girl away, making her take a step back.

Quinn is grinning at the brunette and remembers something. "Oh, hang on. I'll be back." She runs down to her car and in few minutes comes back with an orchid flower arrangement. "Here, these are for you."

Rachel thanks the blonde. It's really hard to get mad at her because she can be so sweet sometimes. Rachel shakes her head at the blonde's ability to switch from being super sweet to an immature teenage boy in a matter of seconds.

"So our date…. Does tomorrow work for you? I don't know if you have any plans since it's Friday. If you do, we can do it another day." Quinn rambles. She has this bad habit of rambling around Rachel and she's aware of it, but she cannot seem to help it. She's just happy that Santana is not there to make fun of her for it.

"Tomorrow works, Quinn."

"Ok, I'll pick you up at six?"

"I'll be ready." Rachel confirms. She's actually excited but reels it in and keeps a calm demeanor.

"Great. I'll get going and let you go to bed then. I'll see you tomorrow, Rach." Quinn walks out of the brunette's room, but turns back around to face the diva. "And thank you… for saying yes to going on a date with me." She adds shyly.

"Quinn, thank you for the song and the flowers. Please text me when you get home." Rachel calls out down the stairs.

"Yes, ma'am." Quinn replies before closing and locking the front door behind her. She already has a plan for their date, so she's not as worried about it. For a change, she's actually prepared and ready for this date to happen, and she cannot wait for tomorrow night to come.

* * *

_**A/N:** I'm no music aficionado, so my song choice may be somewhat lame but I do think that Colbie Caillat songs fit well with Quinn's voice. :) Up next is the first date. Please review. Thanks for reading._


	11. Chapter 11

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I'm grateful for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. To those who turned off their private messaging in FF, and I'm not able to send you a PM and to anons, thank you so much. :)_

_I'm sorry for the delay. I know I indicated that I may update sooner, but that didn't happen. A friend of mine is visiting from out of town and we've been going out, drinking and going home at ungodly hours. Unfortunately, I still had to go to work and function with only a couple hours of sleep. Please don't try it. I don't recommend it. :)_

_Any errors in this chapter, I blame on the hangover. :)_

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't own anything. I'm just borrowing them._

* * *

**[ Chapter 11 ]**

Hiram Berry arrives home early on Friday morning and instantly notices all the flowers that are sitting on several surfaces around the house. It's a rare sight, and wonders if Rachel hosted some type of party while he was away, but what kind of party will require flowers? Teenage parties usually consist of loud music, snacks, and alcohol. Besides, the house looks spotless and nothing is out of place.

He hears his daughter's footsteps coming down the stairs. He checks his watch and it's about time for Rachel to leave for school.

Rachel lights up at seeing her daddy, and she gives him a big hug. She barely sees him because he's always out of town for work, so she's always thrilled when he's home.

"Welcome home, daddy. How was your trip?" She asks him when she pulls away from the hug.

"It's the usual boring and dull work business, sweetie. What are all these flowers? Are they from Finn?" He doesn't remember Finn ever bringing nor giving any flowers before, but whom else can they be from.

"Finn and I broke up months ago." Rachel rolls her eyes at her daddy for forgetting. She's sure she had told him about the breakup, but she guesses he has a lot on his mind and forgot about it. He wasn't there to console her through her heartbreak, since he was away on one of his business trips. Thankfully, Kurt was there for her during when she needed him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I never really liked that boy anyway. I know we haven't talked in a while, and I've been away too much. So how about we catch up tonight over dinner and maybe even do a Barbara movie marathon? Just you and me?"

"Tonight does not work for me, daddy. I have a date." She walks to the kitchen and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl, her father following behind her so they can continue their conversation.

"Who's taking my baby girl out tonight? Is this the same boy that's filling our house with all these flowers?" He asks curiously. He didn't know that she's already seeing someone else, but then again, he wouldn't know because he's rarely home.

"Quinn." Rachel answers simply. She's not sure how her father is going to react when she reveals the gender of her date, but she's not worried because her family has always been pretty open and liberal.

"Is he nice and good to you? I want to meet this new boy." Hiram prods. He wants to make sure that this new boy in his daughter's life is good enough for her.

"She's wonderful. You'll meet her tonight when she picks me up." Rachel reveals and anticipates her father's reaction when he picks up on the pronouns she uses.

"She? Her? What? Since when?" Hiram is surprised to hear that this new boy is in fact a girl. He did not expect that at all. Rachel's only shown interest in boys. Maybe he's been away for too long that he doesn't even know his daughter anymore and what's been going on in her life.

"It's a long story, daddy. It just happened, but I'll tell you about it later. Right now, I have school." She tells him, expecting this talk to take a while. She doesn't want to blemish her perfect attendance record today.

"Ok, sweetie. We'll talk tomorrow. How about brunch?" He knows how much his daughter values punctuality and prides in her perfect school record.

"That works, daddy." Rachel kisses her dad's cheek and heads out to school.

* * *

The school day goes by like a blur for Rachel. She is surprised to find Quinn waiting for her by her locker, breakfast in hand, like the previous days. She expects those gestures to end now that she has agreed to a date with the blonde, but Quinn keeps it up throughout the day, leaving gifts and notes in her locker and bringing her another home cooked meal for lunch.

When she questions the blonde about it, Quinn just shrugs and tells her, "Just coz you said yes to a date doesn't mean I can't continue giving you stuff."

It's such a typical Quinn answer but Rachel thinks it's thoughtful and shows just how sweet the blonde is even though she tries to pretend that she's not with her indifference.

* * *

That evening, Quinn nervously stands outside the Berry's front door, a bouquet of two dozen red roses in her arm. She's 10 minutes early because she knows how much Rachel dislikes tardiness. With a shaky hand, she reaches for the doorbell and presses it.

The ding from the doorbell echoes throughout the house and she takes a couple of deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She quickly runs her a hand through her hair to make sure it's in place. The door swings open, revealing a tall older man about her dad's age.

"You must be, Quinn. Please come in. Rachel will be down in a minute." Hiram politely greets the nervous teen. "I'm Hiram Berry, Rachel's father." He introduces himself after closing the door behind them, offering his hand to the blonde.

Quinn shakes his hand and tries to confidently say, "Nice to meet you sir. I'm Quinn… Uhhh… you already know that." It's comes out more like a squeak.

Hiram looks the young blonde over and visibly frowns when he sees the tattoos on her arm. "I haven't seen you around before..."

"I just moved here a few months ago." Quinn quickly explains. She notices his expression change as soon as he saw her arms. She tugs on her shirt's long sleeves that are rolled up, pulling them down to partially cover her arm. She's never been self-conscious of herself before, but this is Rachel's father. She feels the need to impress him or at least get his approval.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" He asks sternly without a smile, giving her the best don't mess with my daughter or else look.

Quinn swallows the lump on her throat and musters enough courage to give him an intelligible and sincere answer, but her nerves are making it difficult. "Uumm… Date her…? Not hurt her…?" It doesn't come out as she hopes and she just sounded so unsure, lacking confidence.

It's obvious from his expression that he's not impressed and she's definitely not getting his approval anytime soon or ever.

Quinn clears her throat and tries again, but before she can start her speech, Rachel comes down the stairs and everything else fades away for Quinn as soon as her eyes land on the diva. Quinn can never get over how stunning Rachel looks and she never fails to render her speechless, especially with all these dramatic entrances.

Quinn stands by to make sure she's close enough to catch the brunette in case she trips down the last few steps again.

Rachel makes it all the way down without tripping. She's prepared this time and made sure to wear comfortable and practical shoes, although she definitely doesn't mind being carried by the blonde again.

"You look beautiful, Rachel." Quinn breathes out. She wonders how Rachel always manages to look breathtaking.

"Thank you, Quinn. You don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks. Here. These are for you." Quinn gives her the two dozen roses.

"These are lovely. Thank you." Rachel beams and takes the flowers from the blonde. It's such a romantic gesture that none of her exes have ever done for her.

Hiram clears his throat to bring the teens' attention over to him. He's been watching their interaction ad there's no doubt that the blonde is smitten with his daughter but it's also obvious to him that his daughter is just as smitten too.

"Daddy, this is Quinn Fabray." Rachel introduces.

"We've been acquainted." He's still wary about the blonde and he doesn't know her enough to trust her yet but he also doesn't want to end his daughter's obvious happiness due to the blonde.

"I'll put them away for you, so you can be on your way." He offers and takes the flowers from his daughter.

"Thank you, daddy."

"Bring her home by midnight." Hiram exerts, focusing his glare on the blonde girl who visibly gulps.

"What? Daddy, I never have a curfew. I don't see any reason why you have to start…"

"I will, sir." Quinn agrees, interrupting the brunette's argument, and she takes Rachel's hand in hers and leads her out of the house and to her jeep.

Hiram watches them go and closes the door once the two girls reach the jeep.

Quinn opens the jeep door for Rachel and Rachel doesn't move, giving the blonde a questioning look for rushing out of the house.

"Your father doesn't like me." Quinn explains.

"That's how he is with every person I dated. He doesn't know you yet. Once he gets to know you, I'm positive he'll like you." Rachel tries to reason.

"I don't know about that. Adults tend to dislike me." Quinn pouts.

"Don't worry about it, Quinn. Right now, I want to find out what this silly pouting blonde has in store for tonight." Rachel kisses the blondes cheek and gives her an assuring smile.

"Ok." Quinn's pout is now replaced with a goofy smile. Rachel's kisses always does that to her.

Rachel gets in the jeep with Quinn's help, and the blonde closes the door for her, and then walks around to the driver side.

* * *

Quinn takes Rachel to the only vegan restaurant closest to Lima, which is the next town over and about an hour drive away. The drive is mostly spent with Rachel controlling the music and singing along with the songs, and Quinn simply enjoying the brunette's singing.

Quinn made reservations for 7:30 and they arrive at the restaurant with enough time to spare. She parks the car and opens the door for the brunette, helping her out of the jeep.

The restaurant is definitely fancier than Breadstix but still has a laid back ambience to it. Rachel is impressed that Quinn didn't take her to Breadstix, which is the default dinner spot for everyone in Lima.

Quinn walks up to the host and informs him of their reservation.

"What name was the reservation on again?" The host asks.

"Quinn Fabray."

"When was the reservation made?"

"Yesterday evening." Quinn replies with a frown. She has a bad feeling about all the questioning.

"I'm sorry. I don't have you in our book for tonight."

"What? I was told that the reservation is confirmed." Quinn raises her voice, but does her best to keep it down, failing to do so.

Rachel is listening to the entire exchange and decides to step in, since she's the calmer one. She figures they can get this situation remedied quicker in a calmer manner. She intertwines her fingers with the blonde's, and rests her other hand on Quinn's arm, slowing rubbing up and down to sooth her.

This seems to help since Quinn takes a few slow deep breaths, but her face still sports a frown.

"Can we just get another table then?" Rachel calmly asks the host.

"Let me check." The host goes over the seating for the evening and apologetically glances up to the brunette. "I'm sorry, miss, but we're fully booked for the evening."

"What? No fucking way. I made a reservation." Quinn protests a little too loudly, bringing attention to them from the other restaurant patrons.

"Is there anything you can do to help us out? We were really looking forward to enjoying a fine vegan meal, especially from your establishment." Rachel tightens her hold on the blonde, while she addresses the host with a smile.

"Uuumm… We don't usually do this, but you can order to go." The host offers. His hands are tied and even if he wants to seat them, there are no available tables tonight. It's a busy evening and their restaurant is very popular, since it's one of very few vegan restaurants in the area.

"But we wanna to eat in here." Quinn whines, getting close to slamming her fist on the host's table. Rachel's hold on her is the only thing keeping her from losing it.

"Is there nothing else you can do?" Rachel asks, keeping her voice calm, a stark contrast from her obviously annoyed companion.

"No, miss. I'm sorry. That's the best we can do. We can even add in a complimentary appetizer."

"I want to talk to your manager." Quinn demands, and the host calls the manager over, not wanting to argue with the annoyed blonde any further.

The manager comes over and the best offer she gives them is to order their food to go, so in the end, Quinn accepts it. It's either get the food to go, starve, or find some subpar place to eat that probably will not have any vegan food available. She doesn't want Rachel to eat stale salad on their first date. That's just not acceptable.

Quinn rubs her temples with her knuckles to ease the growing headache from the reservation ordeal. They're both sitting in the waiting area waiting for their order to be ready. This night is not turning out the way Quinn planned and it's making her anxious.

Rachel notices the restless blonde, and rubs a hand on her back. "It's ok, Quinn. We'll find a nice park close by, and we can have an impromptu picnic. We will have a nice view of the clear sky and get some fresh air. It'll be lovely."

Quinn gives her a tight smile. Yes, it's definitely a great idea but she still can't help the disappointment.

Their order arrives, and Rachel tries to pay for it, but Quinn stops her.

"I got this, Rachel." Quinn insists.

"You promised me that I get to pay next time."

"I'm the one who asked you out on this date. It's only proper for me to pay for our dinner. Please?" The blonde pleads with her.

"Ok, fine." Rachel gives in.

Quinn beams and pays for their food. She grabs the bag of food, and they hop into Quinn's jeep. Using an app on Quinn's phone, they drive to a park with a little lake in the middle.

After Quinn helps Rachel out of her seat, she sifts through the junk in her backseat. She doesn't realize how badly her jeep needs a wash and a cleaning, but for now, she focuses on looking for items that may be useful for a picnic. They're not prepared for it, but she prays that she can find something.

Rachel checks the take out bags they have. "They even gave us disposable utensils and napkins with the order." She confirms that they're set with their meal.

Quinn pulls up two large pieces of cloth, a red one and a yellow one. She studies it closely and realizes what it is. "It's Sam's cape from his Halloween costume. He can't decide which color would go well with the rest of his outfit so he bought both colors."

Rachel giggles at the image of Sam in a superhero costume. "We can use them as blankets, something to sit on."

Quinn nods and continues to digs through the random things in her backseat. She finds her spare skateboard, which they can use as a makeshift table. She also finds an unopened bottle of soda, vodka, tequila, and a pack of unused red solo cups. She takes the soda since it's probably not a good idea to be intoxicated on her first date with Rachel.

She empties her gym bag, and takes a quick sniff inside. Thankfully, it doesn't smell since it's a new one that she had only used once to store clean gym clothes in. She throws in all the items they need that fit into the bag, tucks the skateboard under her arm, and grabs the bag of takeout food.

"I think we have everything we need." Quinn checks everything, closing the jeep door with her foot.

"I can help carry some things." Rachel offers, seeing that the blonde's hands are full, and there's nothing else for her to take.

"Nah, I got it. Just lead the way and find us a good spot." Quinn motions for Rachel to start walking.

Rachel leads them to a spot that she thinks is best. It's well lit and has the best view of the lake.

They settle down and set everything up on the capes and skateboard. Once everything is set they dig in hungrily. It's a late dinner and both girls are famished. The food is delicious, the weather is nice, and the view is great.

"This is good, but I think my mom's cooking is still better." Quinn says in between bites.

"I agree. I should really get the recipes from her." Rachel agrees. "You know you do not have to eat a vegan meal with me. You are more than welcome to order anything you wanted to eat."

"I'm ok, but next time, I'm probably going to want a juicy steak dinner."

"Of course. I was never under the impression that you would ever abandon your love for animal products." Rachel says with a chuckle. Just the fact that Quinn is trying to eat vegan food is good enough for her.

"I'm sorry about the reservation snafu." Quinn apologizes, once again feeling bad about how their evening turned out.

"It's not your fault, Quinn. This is actually better than sitting inside a cramped restaurant."

"You're not just saying that make me feel better right?"

"I speak only the truth. This is definitely lovely."

They finish their meals in no time since they're both hungry, and they're now just sipping their sodas, staring at each other, but then lightning flashes above them followed by a loud rumbling sound. A few seconds later, rain starts pouring down.

They quickly pack everything up, grabbing as much as they can carry. They sprint away from the lake to find shelter. They spot a covered picnic area nearby and make their way towards it. By the time they make it there, the rain is coming down really hard, lighting flashes every few seconds with roaring thunders.

"Fuck." Quinn curses, setting the things in her hands down on the wooden table, running her hands through her damp hair.

"Language, Quinn." Rachel scolds, also dropping the things in her hands down on the table. She checks herself and the blonde. They're both drenched in the rain, and for some reason, she's finding their entire situation amusing, so she starts laughing.

Quinn raises an eyebrow at the laughing brunette, wondering if she's lost her mind. This is definitely not funny. The evening is a disaster, and she's angry at whoever is responsible, internally cursing at anything.

Rachel notices the frowning blonde, and she wraps her arms around the taller girl's waist, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "It's fine, Quinn." She pulls back and rummages through the things on the table. She's surprised to find Sam's capes dry. Quinn must have grabbed it very quickly as soon as the rain started and was able to save it from getting soaked.

Rachel takes the yellow one and turns back to the frowning blonde. She wraps the cape around the taller girl, and loosely ties to around the blonde's neck so it doesn't fall off. She takes the red one and wraps and ties it around herself. The cape's actually keeping them warm and absorbing the water from the rain. She moves toward the table and sits atop the table. She looks at Quinn who's watching her every move. Her frown is now replaced by a confused look.

Rachel pats the empty spot to her left, signaling Quinn to sit beside her. Quinn sighs and drags her feet over to the brunette and plops down beside her. Rachel wraps her arms around Quinn's arm, and she rests her head on the blonde's shoulder. She feels the blonde tense up next to her.

"Quinn, let's just enjoy this, ok?"

The blonde sighs again and caves in, letting her anger and disappointments go. She relaxes and tilts her head to rest on top of the brunette's head. She breathes out a content breath, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds from the storm surrounding them. It's surprisingly calming.

They sit like that for a few minutes, sharing each other's warmth and content in the closeness and silence between them. It's not awkward at all. In fact it's comfortable and it feels right.

Quinn surveys their situation and she internally scoffs at how silly they probably look. Damped like wet cats, wearing silly bright-colored superhero capes, but there's nowhere else she'd rather be than exactly where she is right now, with Rachel close at her side.

"Thank you." Quinn turns her head and kisses the top of brunette's head. She knows she can be very difficult and short-tempered, but the brunette has been nothing but patient with her, putting up with her moods.

Rachel glances up at the blonde, and she gives her a smile, understanding what the blonde is trying to tell her with the few words she used. She rests her head back on the nook between Quinn's shoulder and neck, shifting closer and tucking herself closer to the blonde's side.

Quinn moves her arm to wrap around the brunette's waist and tugs her closer. She sighs contently. The brunette starts playing with her free hand that's resting on her lap.

Rachel runs a couple of fingers delicately on the blonde's tattoo covered arm. "Can you tell me about it?"

Quinn peeks down at what the brunette is referring to. "I got it almost a year ago. It was an impulsive decision one drunken evening." She confesses.

Rachel chuckles at the revelation. "That sounds like something you would do."

"It turned out ok. You should see what Sam got." Quinn smirks at remembering the tattoo her brother ended up with. She'll never stop teasing him about it for the rest of his life.

"Does it mean anything?" Rachel asks curiously. Quinn's tattoo looks so intricate and details. Surely, there's some meaning and story behind it.

Quinn tenses, staying quiet for a few seconds, and she starts talking in a very quiet and somber voice. "My big brother… He used to draw all these random stuff and turning them into awesome murals. Works of art really."

"This was one of his pieces…" Rachel surmises.

"He was a really good artist." Quinn tells her, lost in thought, memories of her older brother flooding her mind.

"Was?"

"He passed away a few years ago." Quinn chokes out, doing her best to keep her emotions in check. She's not going to break down in front of the brunette right now.

Rachel whispers a soft, "I'm sorry," at the revelation.

"The tree and the branches… it's like our family tree and the flowers are like the people in our direct family. He added random stuff that I enjoy like the skateboard items and books and stuff, but he hides them well around the other abstract stuff he added to make it look cool." Quinn explains, staring out into the dark park. She furrows her brows, not wanting to continue this conversation right now.

Rachel instantly recognizes the blonde's discomfort about the topic, so she decides to steer the conversation away to something else. "It's really good. It makes you look very bad ass." She comments lightheartedly, moving the topic away from what Quinn is obviously not ready to talk about.

Quinn glances down at the brunette, studying her face, looking for any hint of insincerity or malice, but finds none. She instantly understands what the brunette is trying to do, and she melts even more at how perfect the brunette is. She chuckles at the brunette's statement and the fact that she uses the word ass.

"I'm glad you think so too. That's what I was going for, even in my drunken stupor."

Rachel giggles. She's glad that she's able to pull them away from the heavy conversation that Quinn is not comfortable to share with her just yet.

They stay cuddled together for a little bit longer, just happy to be in the other's company, talking about random things and getting to know each other more, but sticking with lighter topics.

When the rain lets up, they jump off the table and stretch their legs. Quinn figures they can still do something that is in her original plan for their date. "Are you up for dessert?"

Rachel stares at her warily. "Quinn Fabray. What are you implying?" She's intentionally teasing the blonde, but she puts on her best serious face. She's a really good actress, after all.

"I didn't mean that kind of dessert. I mean like real dessert, like ice cream." Quinn sputters out to explain what her intentions are.

Rachel giggles at the sputtering blonde. "Have I ever told you how cute and adorable you are when you're nervous?"

"I'm not cute or adorable. I'm cool and tough. A total bad ass, remember?" Quinn pouts, crossing her arms over her chest.

This makes Rachel laugh harder, because pouting Quinn is even more adorable and so much cuter, but she decides to stop teasing the blonde, because she wants ice cream. The blonde may change her mind if she taunts her further. "Yes, I'm up for ice cream…. Vegan ice cream."

"Of course, I found this place we can go to that serves vegan ice cream."

"Let's go then. You want to make sure you get me home before curfew like you promised my daddy."

"I'll race you to the car. Winner gets to pick the flavors." Quinn scoops all their things in her hands, and sprints away.

"Hey, you're cheating." Rachel screams, running after a laughing Quinn, both their capes still hanging around her necks and flowing behind them as they run to the parking lot.

* * *

After ice cream, Quinn drives Rachel home with a few minutes to spare before the curfew time that her father had established. Quinn walks Rachel to her front door.

"I'm really sorry about how the date went with the reservation and the storm…"

Rachel cuts Quinn off by connecting their lips together in a soft and tender kiss, her arms around the blonde's neck. Quinn instinctively wraps her arms around the brunette, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

They pull back a few seconds later before they get carried away because the porch light flickers on and off, distracting them and letting them know that Rachel's father is watching them.

"Don't apologize, Quinn. I had a wonderful time."

"Really?"

"Really. Tonight's one of the best dates I've had."

"Me too. Thank you for…" Quinn can't find the right words to say… for being so wonderful, so amazing, for not running away, for not staying through the night, for being so patient, and she can go on and on, but she seems to be lost for words right now. Instead, she leans down and kisses the brunette once again.

The girls jump apart when the front door suddenly swings open, revealing a frowning Hiram.

Rachel rolls his eyes at her father. "I'll be inside in a minute, daddy."

Hiram ignores his daughter's words and continues to stare daggers at the blonde, who gulps and avoids eye contact with the Berry man.

"Daddy, can you please give us a moment?" Rachel demands, louder this time to let her father know she's not amused at his over-protectiveness right now. She really just wants to spend a little bit more time with Quinn.

Hiram concedes, nodding and walking back inside the house, disappearing around the corner, but leaving the front door open.

"I don't think he likes me very much." Quinn states what she thinks is very obvious based on the older man's attitude and reaction towards her.

"He'll warm up to you once he gets to know you."

"I think you should go inside before he comes out with a gun. Does he have a gun?" Quinn asks worriedly.

"You're silly." Rachel grins at the flustered blonde. She gives her a quick peck on the lips. "Good night, Quinn. Please text me when you get home."

Quinn gives her a goofy grin, forgetting about Hiram. "Yes, ma'am." She replies, walking backwards away from the brunette, who closes the door behind her after a wave.

Their night didn't go as planned, but it turned out just fine. Rachel seemed to enjoy their date, and that's all that matters to Quinn, and so she drives home and goes to bed with a permanent smile on her face.

* * *

_**A/N:** Please review. Thanks for reading._


	12. Chapter 12

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I apologize for the delay. Real life has been crazy busy. I'm going to be out of town for the next few weeks. I will not be able to update this story while I'm away. The most updating I'll be doing will probably be a few pictures here and there in tumblr. I'll actually be in Los Angeles (CA) area. If anyone has any recommendations on local places to check out, please send them over. I'm also going to the GLAAD awards in LA, so let me know if you're going as well. :)_

_I finally went through some of the reviews in the last few chapters. I appreciate all your reviews._

_OutOfNoWhereHereIAm – Thank you for pointing out the error on RJ's son/daughter. I fixed it now. :)_

_Shadow Apparation – Regarding their plans to join the football team, I'm planning on it but it won't be until a few chapters out._

_FormerGophers – Thank you for pre-reading the chapters and providing great feedback._

_Oh and Finn, Karofsky, and the rest will be dealt with eventually. Be warned that this is definitely rushed and not proofread because I wanted to give you all an update before I go on vacation. I will fix the mistakes I made when I get back, and will reply to messages as well. Once again, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. :)_

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't claim any ownership of anything that's mentioned here. I'm merely borrowing them for non-profit creative purposes._

* * *

**[ Chapter 12 ]**

Quinn is still in heaven on Saturday. She's up bright and early, joining her family for breakfast and retelling how her evening with Rachel went, but leaving a few things out like the kissing and the short conversation about RJ.

Her parents and Grammy insists that she invite Rachel over for dinner because they want to get to know her more before they go back to New York in a few days, and so she texts Rachel to see if she's available tonight, and she is.

Quinn spends the rest of the day hanging out with the gang – gym with Sam and then off to the skate park. She joins the gang for lunch at the mall because Brittany wants to go shopping, and after that, they go to the park to feed the ducks and play ball. They return home and spend the rest of their afternoon playing video games while Brittany and Santana disappear into Brittany's room, doing who knows what.

A couple of hours before dinner, they all break apart to get ready. Quinn takes a quick shower and puts on nicer clothes. She takes a piss in her en suite bathroom before she goes downstairs to wait for Rachel's arrival.

"Not fucking fair, dude." Puck exclaims from right outside her bathroom.

"Shit. What the heck, Puck?" Quinn jumps in surprise at the sudden appearance of the mohawked boy behind her. She didn't bother close her bathroom door since she assumed she has some privacy in her own room. She apparently assumed wrong. She quickly tucks herself in, zips up, and flushes the toilet.

"Why are you bigger than me? That's so not fair." Puck whines.

Quinn smirks proudly at that, but then remembers that Puck just invaded her privacy. Although, it doesn't seem to bother the mohawked boy except for the fact that she's bigger than him. "Don't you knock?" She turns to the sink to wash her hands with soap.

"The door was open. If you don't want people coming in, close your door, lesbro."

Quinn rolls her eyes. There is no such thing is privacy in this house. Closed doors do not stop anyone in her family from opening the door. Her parent, Grammy, Britt, San, and Sam have walked in on her in several occasions even with her door closed.

Thankfully, she wasn't in any compromising position to be embarrassed about. Locking the door is the only sure way to keep people out, but even that, she's sure Grammy has a master key somewhere that she will not hesitate to use.

"What do you want, Puck?"

"I'm hurting here, Q. Show some sympathy. My poor ego. No wonder you get more action than I do."

"That's not true. I haven't gotten any action since I moved here."

"That's coz you're busy chasing Jew babe's tail. I don't blame ya. She's a hot piece of ass. Ooww…" Puck winces when Quinn punches him hard on his arm after that last statement.

"Don't talk about Rachel like that." Quinn growls and punches his arm again and again, right on the same spot. If it's not bruised from the first punch, it's definitely bruised now.

"Ow. Sorry. Stop. Ow." Puck cowers away, rubbing his sore arm and pouting. "You don't have to get all violent. You know I respect my fellow Jew."

Santana walks in with Brittany and raises a brow upon seeing Puck's pout and Quinn's frown. "What'd you do, Puckerman?"

"I didn't do anything." Puck defends.

"Did you talk smack about Berry?" The Latina asks with a smirk. Anything to do with the diva always sets Quinn off, whether it's extreme happiness and joy or rabid protectiveness, anger, and jealousy.

"Wha…" Puck wonders how they know and automatically assumes it has anything to do with Rachel.

"Because you should know better, Puck. Q turns into a lion and gets all protective of her mate, which is Rachel. She could maul you and rip your man parts if you're not careful."

Puck instinctively cups his crotch and whimpers at the thought. He doesn't doubt that Quinn can and will do that if she's pissed off, especially when it has anything to do with Rachel.

"Enough of this bullshit. Let's get going. I wants my dinner sooner than laterz."

"Where are we going?"

"Oh yea, that's why I came looking for you, Q. Grammy wants us to get some stuff for dinner." Puck explains, almost forgetting why he's up in Quinn's room in the first place.

The teenagers all head out to get the things that are in the list that Grammy gives them – drinks, desserts, and other random stuff. By the time they get back, they have about an hour left before dinner, so Santana and Brittany disappears upstairs to the taller blonde's bedroom. Puck decides to play some video games in the basement. Sam leaves to go pick Mercedes up.

Quinn offered to pick Rachel up but the brunette declined since she'll be coming from her dance class anyway. She is about to head upstairs to her room when her phone rings.

"Hello?" She answers it without looking at who the caller is.

"Quinn?"

"Rachel? Is everything ok?" She stops midway up the stairs, concern lacing her voice. She's not expecting the brunette to call her this early so she starts to worry.

"Everything's ok. Don't worry."

"Good. So what's up?" Quinn sighs in relief but still wonders why the brunette called her.

"I complete my dance class ahead of schedule. Would I be imposing and intruding if I come by extremely early? If not, I suppose I shall head home and catch up on some school work to kill ti..."

"Rachel, it's fine. You won't be intruding." Quinn interrupts the brunette's rambling, smiling at how adorable she is.

"Are you positive?"

"I'm sure. Where are you anyway?"

"Umm... I'm actually outside your house right now." Rachel replies sheepishly.

"Really? I'm coming out. Hang on." Quinn sprints down the stairs towards the front door, quickly swinging it open, excited to see the brunette sooner.

Rachel's car is parked on the street in front of the house. She gets out if her car as soon as she sees Quinn standing outside the front door. She gives her a little wave and a smile.

Quinn beams at seeing the brunette and makes her way down the walkway to meet the her halfway. She's suddenly feeling really happy. When has she ever been this excited and elated over a girl before? Honestly, never. She feels like she should be concerned at all these unfamiliar emotions the brunette is making her feel, but right now, she doesn't care to over analyze whatever this is.

Rachel also makes her way towards the blonde and stops when they're standing right in front of each other, wide smiles on both their faces.

"Hi." Quinn greets.

"Hi." Rachel replies in kind.

Both girls find themselves speechless, not really sure what to say. A thousand thoughts and possible phrases to tell each other, but nothing comes out of their mouths, so they're just content with staring at each other and admiring each other's natural beauty.

Quinn cannot help ogling the brunette in front if her. As usual, the shorter girl can render her speechless without any effort.

Rachel has a natural glow to her and light flush, most likely from her exertion in dance class. Her hair is tied in a loose pony tail and she's wearing a simple mid-length black skirt and a plain nice fitting sweater without any animal prints on it.

On the other hand, Quinn's wearing we usual jeans and a white T-shirt. The sun shining behind her makes it look like she's glowing, especially with her golden hair. She looks stunning from Rachel's perspective and her throat suddenly goes dry. She has this strong urge to grab the blonde and pull her in for a searing kiss.

Before either girls can say or do anything, a loud voice above them bellows, breaking their reverie.

"Q! Berry! Stop the vomit inducing lovefest in the front yard. The neighbors might call the po-po with your gross eye sexing." Santana yells out from Brittany's window, who's room is located in the front of the house, getting a good view of the front door and yard.

Quinn turns to look up at the Latina and gives her the middle finger. "Fuck off, bitch."

"Hello, Santana." Rachel greets more appropriately at the Latina.

"What's happening, Berry? Q still trying to get in your pants?" Santana smirks at the blushing diva, ignoring her scowling blonde friend.

"I'll choose to ignore that inappropriate question, but I must say, Quinn has been nothing but respectful. Maybe you should try that as well." Rachel reprimands the Latina.

"Don't you have anything better to do than meddle with my life?" Quinn growls at the Latina. She doesn't want Rachel to doubt her intentions and Santana is definitely not helping with that at all.

"Who are you? You definitely sound like Berry now." Santana teases the blonde.

"What are you kids yelling about? Come inside and make yourselves useful." Grammy yells at them through the front window.

"Can't help with whatever, Grammy. Britts and I are busy with… Uhh… homework. Laterz." Santana quickly reasons and closes the window shut before anyone can say anything back.

Quinn shakes her head at the Latina, and leads Rachel inside the house.

"Sorry about that. It's S's mission to make my life hell."

"Don't worry about it, Quinn. I've known Santana since we were kids. I'm used to her antics by now." Rachel explains, assuring the blonde that whatever comes out of the Latina's mouth is not affecting her as much as it should.

The two girls go into the kitchen so that Rachel can properly greet Quinn's parents and Grammy. The adults are busy preparing for dinner.

"Rachel's here. We're probably just going to go to my room…"

"Hi Rachel. How are you doing, dear?" Judy cuts Quinn off and greets the brunette warmly.

The older Fabray goes to give Rachel a hug, which Rachel gladly accepts and returns. She's a hugger but most people she meets are not, so she always restrains herself from the strong urge to give people hugs, and warn them first that she's going to hug them, before doing so.

"I'm doing well, Judy. Thank you for inviting me over for dinner."

"Anytime, dear. Everyone here knows how much I enjoy cooking for others, especially for our Quinnie and Sammie's close friends." Judy says, emphasizing the words close friends.

"That's lovely. Uumm… So do you need any help?" Rachel offers.

"Or I guess we'll stay down here…" Quinn mumbles to herself.

"What did you say, kiddo?" Russell asks, hearing Quinn mumble but not making out the words.

"I was just wondering the same thing, daddy. How can Rachel and I help?"

"Oh my god, when pigs fly. Rachel darling, please impart more of your wonderful influence on our Quinnie. Before she met you, she'd sprint as far away from anything to do with housework. Look at her now, offering to her assistance." Judy muses.

"I'm not that bad." Quinn rolls her eyes at her mother's dramatics.

"Yes, you are. And we already had this discussion before, so let's get you working. Here you and Rachel and cut the fruits for the fruit salad we're having for dessert." Grammy says, showing a bag of fruits in Quinn's hand and handing a couple of knives and cutting board and a bowl to Rachel.

"Sounds easy enough. We'll take care of it." Rachel eagerly accepts the task at hand, and leads Quinn to an empty counter space they can work on.

Quinn begrudgingly does what Grammy asked her to do, but soon starts enjoying the task because she gets to spend time with Rachel.

* * *

Everyone starts taking their places on the large dining table when dinner time comes around. Everyone helps in setting the table and bringing the food in from the kitchen. Once they're settled, conversations start flowing before they even start eating.

"How did you two meet again? I think it may be from school. Classmates? Am I right?" Russell asks Quinn and Rachel who are sitting across from him and Judy.

"Actually, no. It wasn't from school." Rachel starts.

"This should be a good one." Sam whispers to Mercedes, both are sitting beside Russell and Judy and across from Santana and Brittany, but he says it loud enough for everyone to hear.

Santana's ears instantly perk up from curiosity. She never did hear about how Quinn and Rachel first met. She just assumed that it was through their chemistry class where they were partnered up.

"We first met when Rachel ran me over with her car." Quinn deadpans.

"That is not exactly accurate. I merely tapped you with my car – barely touched you really – and that is due to my superior driving skills. I was able to stop at the nick of time, preventing any serious damage and injury to occur." Rachel explains their first meeting from her perspective.

"Nah, you hit me and it hurt like hell."

"You sure didn't like you were hurting. If I remember correctly, I even instructed you not to move before the ambulance arrives, but you did anyway. And you were breaking the law."

"You were speeding."

"I was driving within the speed limit. You were skateboarding on a no skateboarding zone and if you had crossed the street like any law abiding citizen – on the pedestrian crosswalk, we could have prevented that unfortunate incident."

"Ok. We get it. Q's breaking the law – nothing new. And Berry almost killed her because of that. Great. Sounds like love at first sight to me. Now, let's start eating." Santana interrupts the couple's bantering when her stomach starts growling.

"Damn right. Let's eat." Puck agrees and everyone starts passing the food around and digs in.

Quinn leans closer to Rachel and whispers, "You know it was your fault. Any pedestrian collision, it's all the driver's fault."

"We'll see about that."

Quinn raises an eyebrow, staring at Rachel and trying to read what she's implying. She racks her brain for any explanation on what her words mean. "Wait, you're not like gonna withhold cuddles and kisses until I admit fault to that, right?"

Rachel turns to her with a mischievous grin on her face, and turns to her food, taking a couple of bites.

"Rachel?" Quinn asks again nervously.

Rachel intentionally ignores the blonde and addresses Judy. "Judy, this is delicious. I must get the recipe for your vegan meals. It's absolutely divine."

Quinn turns back to her food, racking her brain for any possible things that the brunette may do to force her to give in. If she's being honest, Rachel really doesn't have to do much to make her give in, but she will never admit to that.

* * *

Russell and Judy get to know more about Mercedes and Rachel and are thrilled with the two ladies in their children's lives.

After dinner, Brittany suggests they all watch a fun movie together and everyone agrees since no one else has any other ideas on what they can do. They all go down to the basement toward the large entertainment room.

Grammy is the only one missing as she excuses herself to bed, stating that she's too old to stay up late, which is untrue because everyone who has lived with her knows that she's one of the last people to sleep.

Santana had snuck into Brittany's room a few times after midnight when they first started dating, and Grammy was knocking on Brittany's door right away and stated that Santana sleep in the guest room or else she was never allowed in the house again. Of course, she eased up once she got to know the Latina and realized that she's good to her granddaughter.

Brittany chooses the movie and picked Finding Nemo. Sam and Puck wince at the choice but are silenced at the glare that Santana shoots at them. Everyone else seems to be ok with the movie choice, so they relent and decide to keep their protests to themselves.

Brittany and Santana hogs the love seat, stretching their legs on the entirety of the seat and preventing other people from sharing with them.

Quinn rolls her eyes, and she takes Rachel's hand and drags her to one end of the couch before Puck decides to lie down and take the entire couch. Rachel is amused at how competitive Quinn, Santana, and Puck are.

"Uhh… You can sit here and I'll sit beside you." Quinn offers awkwardly, trying to determine if it's appropriate to cuddle or even sit too closely when her family's around. She's not really the affectionate type, especially around other people.

Rachel grins at the suddenly shy blonde, and sits down on the far end of the couch and pulls Quinn down to sit beside her. The blonde scoots away, adding an inch between them and looking at what the others are doing.

Russell and Judy are sharing the lazy boy. Judy's practically sitting on Russell's lap and no one is minding them at all. Puck is lying down on the carpeted floor in front of the couch. Sam and Mercedes take the other end of the couch where Quinn and Rachel are sitting, and they are also keeping some distance between them.

Rachel chuckles internally at how similar the brother and sister are, choosing to be shy and awkward at this exact moment. She leans closer to Quinn and softly tells her, "You can move closer, you know."

Quinn nods and moves barely an inch closer to the brunette.

"You can put your arm around me if you want." Rachel tries again.

"Ok." Quinn tries to put her arm around the shorter girl but ends up in an awkward and uncomfortable position since she's sitting too far away from her. Her body is leaning too far and her arm can barely wrap around the brunette's shoulder.

"If you move closer to me, it will be much more comfortable for you." Rachel offers patiently.

"Just fucking do what the woman says, Q." Santana snaps.

Even though Rachel and Quinn are whispering, everyone else in the room can hear their conversation because it's so quiet in the basement while Brittany finds the video and sets it up on the entertainment center.

Puck spins around so he's sitting up and facing Quinn and Rachel. He grins sleazily, wiggling his eyebrow at the diva. "If Q's not satisfying you, I will gladly keep you warm and more, princess." The next thing he knows, Quinn kicks him hard on his shin and he yelps in pain, clutching and rubbing his shin to ease the pain.

"You deserve that, Puckerman. You never learn, do you?" Santana shakes her head at the suffering boy, while Sam snickers in his seat at the boy's stupidity.

"I was just kidding, Q." Puck whines at the frowning blonde, who's ready to kick his nuts.

If it isn't for Rachel holding her down, Quinn will have kicked the mohawked boy a few more times for that lewd comment to Rachel.

"Quinn, cuddle with me?" Rachel sweetly asks, almost batting her eyelashes at the blonde. "Please…?" She adds, looking up at the blonde with pleading eyes.

"Ok." Quinn sighs, unable to say no to Rachel, especially when she pulls out her puppy dog eyes. She's so whipped, she cringes at the internal admission but surprisingly, it doesn't make her want to run away.

This time she sits as close to Rachel as possible and puts her arm around the brunette's waist, pulling her closer in to her. Her family be damned. She doesn't even care if they will make fun of her for this – for being sappy, whipped, whatever else Santana can come up with. She just wants to be close to the brunette.

Rachel smiles at the blonde's action and instinctively rests her head between Quinn's neck and shoulder, silently sighing contently.

The movies flickers on and Quinn allows herself to relax around Rachel as they watch the movie, cuddled together.

Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Rachel moves to press her mouth close to Quinn's ears and whispers, "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Quinn looks at the brunette with a questioning look and shakes her head to tell her that she doesn't have any plans for tomorrow night.

"Can you come over around 6?"

The blonde raises an eyebrow, silently asking her why, but Rachel doesn't give her any more information. So Quinn nods, and whispers back, "I'll be there."

The brunette gives her a wide smile, happy with Quinn's answer.

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing?"

"Just come over and you'll see." Rachel mumbles, her attention already back on the movie.

Quinn figures that she's not going to get anything out of the brunette. She shrugs and tightens her hold around the brunette and turns her attention back to the movie as well. She wonders what the brunette has in store for tomorrow night but decides not to press. She'll find out tomorrow anyway.

* * *

The next evening, Quinn arrives at Rachel's and she is nervous as soon she remembers her first meeting with Hiram. She hopes that he'll be more receptive and nicer to her this time around.

Expecting Hiram to answer the door, she brushes through her hair and straightens her shirt and dusts off the invisible dirt on her pant. She rings the doorbell with a shaky hand, but is pleasantly surprised to see Rachel opening the door and pulling her into a full body hug.

"Is your dad in?" Quinn scans the house to see signs of the Berry man, at the same time hugging the brunette back.

"He's out of town again." Rachel answers simply, pulling back from the hug and urging Quinn inside the house.

"Oh, ok." Quinn says in relief. Her nerves slowly evaporate at knowing that she doesn't have to worry about possibly getting shot by an over-protective father tonight.

Rachel leads Quinn to the dining room where a table is set for two people. She makes the blonde sit down on one of the chairs, and she disappears into the kitchen. She comes back with a plate of food for Quinn and serves it to her, setting the plate down in front of the blonde.

"You cooked me steak?" Quinn's eyes widen in surprise at seeing the delicious looking meal in front of her.

"I must say, it was a challenge, but I know how much you love your meat, so yes, I persisted through it just for you." Rachel proudly informs the blonde.

"Rachel, thank you." Quinn looks at the brunette lovingly, touched by her efforts. She knows how difficult this must have been for the vegan diva.

Rachel grabs her own plate of vegan pasta and vegetables, and they eat their meals over light conversations.

Quinn swears this is the best steak she's ever had and happily chomps on it, savoring each bite. For someone who never cooks meat, Rachel did a really great job with her steak.

After that scrumptious dinner, it was difficult for Quinn to say no to the brunette. Not that she can ever say no to her under different circumstances anyway. So when Rachel asks if they can cuddle on the couch and watch Funny Girl, she gives in without a fight. Musicals are not her thing, but if Rachel wants to watch it tonight, then they'll watch it tonight.

They get comfortable on the oversize couch as the movie starts to play in the large screen TV in front of them.

Quinn is sitting back against the arm rest on one end of the couch. She stretches her legs out on the long couch. Rachel is sitting in front of her, leaning back and resting her body on the blonde, while the blonde wraps her arms around the smaller girl.

Quinn revels in the closeness and feel of the girl she cannot get enough of, while Rachel relaxes, feeling secure and safe in the blonde's strong arms.

* * *

Rachel wakes up at 6am. Her body is already accustomed to waking up at the same time every day.

She's a little disoriented when she opens her eyes and instantly notices that she's not in her bedroom. She quickly scans her surrounding and realizes that she's in her living room. She feels a pair of strong arms tighten around her, and she glances down to find Quinn below her. She's practically sleeping on top of the blonde on her living couch.

She smiles as the memory of last night's date – second date – comes flooding back. The last thing she remembers is watching Funny Girl, and falling asleep in the blonde's arms. She rests her head back on the blonde's chest, listening to the blonde's steady heartbeat. She closes her eyes and falls back asleep in the comfort of Quinn's arms.

A loud blaring sound jolts both girls awake a half an hour later. Rachel's phone, which is sitting on the coffee table, is beeping loudly. She has set the back-up alarm just in case she falls back asleep. Rachel sits up and reaches for her phone, turning it off.

Quinn opens her eyes halfway and turns her head around to look at her surrounding, confusion etches on her face.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Rachel greets a little too cheerfully for being awake at 6:30am.

Quinn focuses her eyes on the brunette and a smile forms on her face at seeing the beautiful brunette sitting in front of her. "What time is it?" Quinn asks between a yawn and stretches her arms out.

"6:30."

"What? I think we need to go back to sleep."

"I can't. My body's already used to waking up at this hour. I'll go make us some coffee." Rachel gets up and walks to the kitchen.

The memory of last night comes back to Quinn, and she instantly panics a little bit. She checks her crotch area to make sure she doesn't have morning wood. She sighs in relief when she sees that everything is clear. She's glad she decided to wear compression shorts last night. She knows that she should come clean about her package, but she's not ready to tell the brunette yet.

Quinn rubs the sleep off her eyes, and sits up, stretching her arms and body out a little bit more and yawning.

Rachel comes back with coffee for the both of them, and giggles at the adorable blonde. She looks like a lion, stretching and yawning with her hair all wild and all over the place.

"What?" Quinn asks the brunette who's staring at her with an amused expression.

"You look like a lion."

Quinn tries to tame her hair down to no avail, making Rachel giggle more.

Rachel finally decides to help the blonde and runs her hand through the blonde's short hair, causing the blonde to purr like a cat. "You're so adorable." She gives the blonde a peck on the lips while gently massaging her hair and head.

"No way. I'm a bad ass remember? Not adorable." Quinn pouts but she's really enjoying what Rachel is doing to her hair and head. It always helps her relax.

"Whatever you say."

They finish their coffee and Rachel makes them vegan pancakes, which Quinn admits is not bad at all.

"I should head home to shower and get dressed." Quinn finally decides it's time to head home if she wants to make it to school in time.

"Ok. I'll see you in school, Quinn. Thank you for spending the night with me."

"Thanks for dinner." Quinn moves to kiss the brunette but her phone starts ringing, pulling her attention away. She looks at her phone to see who is calling. "It's my mom." She tells Rachel and answers it, putting it on speaker phone. "Hey mom."

"_Quinnie, where are you? You didn't come home last night."_

"Sorry, I stayed over at Rachel's. We fell asleep watching a movie."

"_Is Rachel there? Say hello to her for me."_

"You're on speaker phone, mom."

"Good morning, Judy. I do apologize for keeping Quinn over without informing you. We did not plan on falling asleep through the night." Rachel explains, hoping to stay on the woman's good side.

"_Oh it's no problem, dear. Just wanted to make sure our Quinnie is alright."_

"I'm fine, mom. I'm actually heading home to get ready for school now."

"_Alright, sweetie. We'll see you soon then. Oh and please remember to always be safe when you're 'sleeping' together."_

"MOM!"

_"I'm just being practical here, Quinnie. I know we cannot stop you youngins from acting upon your sexua…"_

"Oh my god… hanging up now." Quinn flushes bright red and quickly hangs up to prevent her mother from further embarrassing her with oversharing. "I'm so sorry about that. My parents are crazy." She sheepishly tells the brunette who has an amused grin on her face.

"I suppose your mother is right. It's always best to be safe when partaking in any physical acti…"

"Please stop talking…" Quinn pleads, turning even redder if it's even possible, and Rachel just laughs at the blonde. She's really enjoying teasing her.

Rachel gives her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you in school, Quinn."

"Yea, if I haven't died from embarrassment."

"And people say I'm the dramatic one." Rachel rolls her eyes at the blonde.

Quinn heads home and meets back up with Rachel in school where she walks the brunette to class. This time they hold hands all the way to class, with happy smiles on their faces.

* * *

_A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading._


	13. Chapter 13

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I'm back. :) I'm so sorry for the long delay. Real life's been very busy and eventful. I went skydiving last weekend and that was exhilarating. Definitely something y'all should do at least once in your life if you don't mind the height and free falling and all that good stuff. :)_

_So here's a long chapter for everyone. I've rewritten this chapter so many times, and I figure that I should just go ahead and post it. All mistakes are mine. This hasn't been proofread at all, so I apologize ahead of time. If you can point out the mistakes I made, I will be grateful and gladly fix them._

_Let's get on with this story then. For those of you who are still around…. thank you for reading, reviewing, following, favorite-ing, etc. :)_

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I don't claim any ownership of anything that's mentioned here. I'm merely borrowing them for non-profit creative purposes. Mistakes are all mine though._

* * *

**[ Chapter 13 ]**

Rachel is happily walking down the school hallway to her next class. She's thinking about a certain blonde who is responsible for the wide smile on her face and her cheerful demeanor.

Things are going well with Quinn. They just went on their fifth date last night and Quinn took her to a drive-in movie theatre that was playing Funny Girl. She was so thrilled at seeing her favorite movie play out on the big screen, and was very impressed with the blonde's thoughtfulness.

Her warm thoughts of the blonde are interrupted when a large body stands in her way, blocking her path to class. She looks up to see a lumbering Finn, and he doesn't look happy.

"Hello, Finn. How may I help you?" She greets him politely, even though she isn't in the mood to deal with him after he interrupted her train of thought.

"What's going on with you and Quinn?" He asks, pointing an accusatory finger at her.

Finn has been closely watching Rachel and Quinn. He didn't confront the brunette after the prom incident, because he was expecting Quinn to eventually mess up or Rachel to realize that he is the right one for her, whichever happens first, but unfortunately, things are not working out as he expected. The two girls are only getting closer and friendlier. It's time for him to save Rachel from the mistake that is Quinn Fabray.

"I don't believe it's any of your business, Finn. If you'll please excuse me, I have to get to class." She tries to walk around him but he moves with her, preventing her from going anywhere.

"She's playing you, Rachel."

"I don't have time for this. Please move out of my way."

"I'm just looking out for you." He tries to tell her with as much sincerity as he can muster.

"Quinn is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful person I know. Don't presume to know her like I do."

"She'll show her true self. You'll see and you'll know I'm right. Just wait." Finn warns, but finally moves out of the diva's way. His goal is to win her back, not to make her angry at him, so tries to stay on her good side.

Rachel storms away from the annoying boy who just can't let her be. He was fine staying out of her way when she was single and not interested in anyone, and as soon as someone shows any interest in her, then he's instantly her friend, trying to protect her from whomever. It seems like the boy just cannot move on and accept that fact that they're over. She may have to rethink her friendship with him.

Finn watches the diva walk away and he decides it's time to put his plan in action. He goes in search of a certain blonde cheerleader who will be a key player in his plan.

* * *

The week goes by without a hitch. No Finn annoying the hell out of Quinn or Rachel. Aside from his usual snarky comments here and there and his horrible dancing skills in glee, things have been fairly normal.

On Saturday, Rachel stops by the local diner very early in the morning. Her daddy will be back in town around lunch time and he'll want to spend the entire weekend with her, but she doesn't want to go through the weekend without seeing the blonde, so she decides to surprise Quinn with breakfast.

She remembers Quinn mentioning that Grammy is leaving early to go out of town this weekend, hence she makes sure to arrive before Grammy leaves in order to get inside the house. She's positive that everyone else in the Fabray house will still be sleeping at this time.

She makes it to the Fabray's just as Grammy is about to leave. Grammy lets her in right before she goes on her trip.

The house is really quiet, confirming her suspicions that everyone is still asleep. She makes her way into the kitchen to leave the bags of breakfast food she bought. She made sure to buy enough for everyone. Then she goes upstairs to Quinn's room, and slowly opens the door so as not to alarm and wake the blonde. She quietly lets herself inside the room.

Quinn is sleeping soundly on her side, completely snuggled under the covers with just her head sticking out. Her blonde hair is all over the place like a lion, which Rachel finds really adorable.

She sits on the side of the bed facing Quinn, leans down, and kisses the sleeping blonde softly on the lips. She pulls back and whispers to the blonde. "Quinnie, time to get up."

Quinn mumbles something incoherent, but remains asleep.

"I have bacon." Rachel tries again, louder this time.

The blonde's eyes open up and Rachel laughs at Quinn, unsure of whether to be amused or annoyed that the blonde is more interested in bacon than her.

"You want bacon more than you want me and my kisses?" The diva pouts at the blonde.

Quinn's sleep filled mind clears and she realizes that Rachel is here in her room and she's not dreaming. She beams a toothy grin and grabs the brunette on her waist, pulling her down to the bed and hugging her and showering her face and neck with kisses.

"I'll always want you more." Quinn says in between kisses.

Rachel giggles at the blonde's childishness, enjoying the rare affection that the blonde is showing her.

In public, Quinn is distant and reserve, but in private, she can be very touchy feely and sweet. She likes this Quinn the most, the Quinn that's carefree and silly.

The brunette wraps her arms around the taller girl's neck and pulls her in for a searing kiss.

The two girls start making out heatedly, Rachel on top of Quinn, bodies flushed together when Rachel feels something odd poking her thigh. She pulls back, confused, and looks down between them. Her eyes widen at seeing the tent on the blonde's boxers between her legs.

Quinn may have gotten a little too excited from their make-out session.

"Quinn, what is that?"

"Uuhhh..." Quinn starts to say, not really knowing how to explain her condition to the brunette but before she can continue, Rachel curiously grabs her hard-on, making her gasp from the unexpected touch. It feels nice, but having dirty thoughts may not be appropriate at this moment, so she suppresses a moan.

Rachel pulls her hand away after feeling the hard pole. She's not ignorant to the male anatomy and knows about morning wood and signs of male arousal, but this only made her even more confused because Quinn is female.

"I don't understand." She moves away from the blond, but stays on the bed, a million thoughts running through her mind. Is Quinn a transgender? Is she wearing a strap-on?

"I can explain. I was born with it. It's a rare condition..."

"So you have a penis? A functional male genital? But you're female?" The brunette asks in disbelief.

Quinn nods in response. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but it's not something you bring up during a regular conversation." She quietly continues, trying to keep her voice steady. She does not like the brunette's initial reaction and it's making her really nervous.

Rachel doesn't respond. She furrows her eyebrows in deep thought, processing everything that the blonde is telling her.

Quinn is afraid that the brunette is going to run away and never want to be around her anymore. She's never been scared about this before, but she's grown attached to the diva and she doesn't want to lose her. She's once again reminded of why she steered away from relationships but it's too late for that now.

Rachel knows that she needs to say something soon, but she's still processing this new information. She chances a glance at the blonde sitting a few feet in front of her, unmoving, and her heart breaks at the sight of a devastated looking Quinn, head down like a young child that's close to tears but doing her best to hold it in.

She still doesn't understand everything, but she realizes that it really doesn't matter if Quinn has male parts or female parts, because she likes everything else about her. Quinn is still Quinn. She's still the sweet, charming, funny, and silly girl she got to know.

She slowly moves closer to the taller girl who's still not looking up. She softly tilts the blonde's head up with her finger, so their eyes meet.

"I admit this is all too unexpected, and I'm definitely surprised. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this and will need some time to process this new information and let it all sink in. But I can assure you that this does not change anything between us, ok?"

Quinn nods in relief at hearing the brunette's words, but she still has some lingering doubts in the back of her mind that she cannot shake off. She's been burned before and she doesn't want to hope for something and then get crushed when Rachel decides to change her mind.

Before the girls can say anything else, Santana and Brittany walk right in to Quinn's room.

"Thank god, everyone's decent." The Latina announces, but instantly notices the slight tension in the room. "What did we miss?"

"Quinn has a penis." Rachel blurts out before she can stop herself. She just hopes that the cheerios already know this information, because she doesn't want to be the one to reveal this to others in case Quinn wants to keep it a secret. She gives the blonde an apologetic look for her word vomit, which the blonde responds with a reassuring smile and a squeeze to her hand, letting her know that it's ok.

"Yea, old boring news." Santana rolls her eyes, but then gives the brunette an intimidating look. "You don't have a problem with it do you?" She asks the diva, crossing her arms on her chest to let her know she better not have an issue with it. She cannot help being protective of her friend. Yes, they may bicker and fight, but when push comes to shove, she'll always have Quinn's back.

"Oh… Quinnis. Isn't it cool?" Brittany adds cheerfully.

"Quinnis?" The two brunettes ask at the same time, looking at the blonde cheerio quizzically.

"Quinn's penis." Brittany answers and rolls her eyes like it's the most obvious thing.

"That actually sounds catchy. Good one, Britt." Santana compliments her girlfriend, softening her look.

"Quinnis… While it sounds odd at first, it does roll off your tongue quite easily." Rachel agrees.

Quinn clears her throat to bring everyone's attention back to her. "Hello. I'm still in the room. Please stop talking about my…. junk."

"Hi Q." The taller blonde greets her cousin with a big smile and a wave.

"Eeww… We ain't talking about your junk. That's just gross." The Latina belches. Her words may sound harsh but she knows that her friend know she's joking, so she's not worried.

Taking the Latina's words seriously, Rachel firmly tells Quinn, "Don't listen to her, Quinn. It's not gross." Then she turns back to the Latina, "And Santana, I certainly do not have a problem with Quinn's condition. You need to be more respectful. You cannot just say hurtful things like that."

Santana rolls her eyes at the rambling diva. "Whatever. Come on, Britt. I'm hungry and I smell breakfast in the kitchen." The brunette cheerio takes her girlfriend's hand and leads her out of the room and down the stairs.

Rachel turns to Quinn, who seems uncharacteristically silent. "Sweetie, you've been very quiet. Are you ok?"

"I should be asking you that. Are you sure you're ok with this?"

"I'm positive." Rachel leans forward and gives Quinn a quick peck on the lips. "Now, let's go downstairs before Santana eats all of the bacon."

Quinn finally gives the diva a wide smile, and she gets out of bed, pulling the brunette up with her. Her hard on is completely gone. Rachel finding out about her condition and the brunette's initial reaction was a complete mood killer.

Even though she's still has some doubts, she pushes it off in favor of focusing on the fact that Rachel is still around. She hasn't run away. She's still holding her hand and kissing her. Those are definitely good signs, and she decides to revel in those instead of her insecurities.

* * *

The rest of the weekend goes by quickly. Puck shows up to the Fabray's house on Sunday morning with a cooler full of alcoholic drinks and another cooler full of raw meat and vegetables. They end up having an impromptu barbeque party.

It's only the gang – Santana, Brittany, Sam, Quinn, and Puck – keeping the party small, since no one is in the mood to invite anyone else. That also leaves plenty of food and drinks for everyone, which they're all happy about.

Quinn doesn't see Rachel right after she left on Saturday and all day Sunday, but she knows it's because Rachel's father is back in town. They text each other every chance they get and talk a few times on the phone, up until the point when she broke her cellphone, sometime around Sunday afternoon.

Everyone is drunk in no time with the seemingly endless supply of alcoholic drinks. By some miracle, they still manage to cook the meat without burning the house down or themselves.

Lucky for them, Grammy is still on her trip so they do not have to worry about getting into trouble.

At some point in the day, Quinn's phone ends up on the ground, crushed into several pieces. She's not sure how and when it happens. All she knows is that her phone is now broken and unusable.

She shrugs it off and plans to get a new one tomorrow or whenever she remembers, and goes back to the party where Santana has Puck in a chokehold and cursing about Puck cheating. Puck is flailing his arms helplessly, gasping for breath and still gripping the game controller in his hand, while Brittany and Sam are sitting on the dining table, drawing up some treasure map of some sort, pretty much lost in their own world.

* * *

Monday morning is hell for Quinn. She's now suffering the consequences of her underage overdrinking. She may have gotten a little too carried away, but she blames her friends and family, who didn't seem to think it necessary to stop her from drinking too much. They too were drinking way more than they should, but she wonders why she's the only one with the extreme hangover from hell.

Hiding behind her extra dark sunglass, she sees that Brittany is as cheerful as always, and Sam is his usual self. She easily spots Puck's mowhawked head across from the parking lot, and he's flirting with some random unsuspecting girl. Santana is making her way towards them and she's barking at every single student who's standing too close to her or is in her path. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The Latina greets her girlfriend with a hug and acknowledges the other Fabrays with a nod.

Sam gives the Latina a smile and Quinn can only muster an unhappy growl.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." The Latina smirks at the miserable blonde.

Quinn responds by giving the cheerio the middle finger.

"Don't blame us, blondie. We tried to stop ya but you're one stubborn bitch. Besides, it's not our fault that you can't hold your liquor." Santana snickers at her friend's obvious misery. She too woke up with a major headache, but she's lucky that her mami was still home when she got downstairs. One look at her, her mami shook her head, and then whipped up her grandpa's secret hangover remedy.

At first, she refused to drink that nasty liquid, but decided to go for it. It can't be worse than she was already feeling, so she chugged it down, gagging at the smell and taste, but within fifteen minutes, her headache was gone and she was good as new.

That secret family recipe actually works. She just needs to convince her mami to share the secret, but her friends do not need to know that right now. She's enjoying teasing the hangover blonde. She's not evil at all. She's merely teaching her friend a lesson on the perils of underage drinking.

Quinn's pounding headache is only getting louder as they get closer to the school building and she makes a quick decision to cut class, opting for a nap under the bleachers instead. Without a warning, she spins around and makes a beeline for the bleachers.

"Sis, school's this way." Sam calls out, pointing to the main building. He wonders if his sister's hangover is affecting her directional skills. She's never good with directions anyway, but she will never admit it.

"I'm skipping." Quinn tells him as she continues to walk away.

Right away, she finds out that the bleacher is not a comfortable place for a long nap. The area under the bleacher is no better. She decides to go home and sleep in her comfortable bed instead of the damp grass or cold metal bleacher seats.

Luckily, Grammy isn't home yet or she will definitely get an earful about being irresponsible. As soon as her head hits her pillow, she passes out into a dreamless sleep, and ends up skipping all her classes.

* * *

The next day, Quinn feels better and but she barely makes it to her first class because she overslept. She curses Brittany and Sam for not waking her up and leaving her behind.

She's in and out of her classes all day. School is a lot busier now and much more hectic with finals coming up soon. Teachers are giving the students more work and she has a lot of studying and catching up to do. She's now feeling the consequences of all the classes she carelessly skipped throughout the semester.

She's still doing well in all her classes though. Nothing to worry about, but it just means that she actually has to put in more work and time to study and prepare for exams and complete all the required assignments and make-up the ones she missed.

She's by her locker, putting her books away in her locker and grabbing a couple that she needs, when her thoughts wander to a certain brunette. She doesn't have any shared classes with Rachel and she wonders how the brunette is doing. She misses her and she internally groans when she remembers that she still has yet to get a new phone.

Rachel's probably calling her and texting her. She's already expecting a lecture from the brunette for not returning or answering any of her calls and messages. Knowing Rachel, she most likely will be concerned at first, but then quickly transition to anger, and she cannot help the smile that appears on her face at the image of an angry but adorable brunette.

* * *

Kitty Wilde, future head cheerio and hottest girl in school – at least that's what she believes people should think of her if they have any common sense – makes her move towards her target, slithering up to an oblivious Quinn, who's getting stuff out of her locker.

Classes have been a bore to her and she cannot wait for the day to be over, but first, she's on a mission.

She stands a little too close to Quinn and runs her hand slowly and seductively down her arm. She admits she has a little crush on the skateboarder. She's been trying to subtly get her attention for the longest time but the taller blond never seem to notice her at all. It's time to move past subtlety and take matters into her own hands.

"Hi Quinn." Kitty greets in the sweetest voice she can muster. She gives her an innocent smile.

"Hey…" For the life of her, Quinn cannot remember the girl's name. She knows she's a cheerleader because of the uniform she's wearing, but that's as far as she goes.

"Kitty." The cheerleader helps her out, slightly annoyed that the skateboarder doesn't know her name.

"Oh yea, Kitty. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you're doing anything tonight. I was thinking that you and I can work on our homework together, you know, help each other out and all." She gives her a wink.

"Uuhh… we don't have any classes together."

"We can still work on our homework together. I heard you're really good with Math and Literature. Maybe you can help me with those?"

"I promised Sam we'd go to the gym tonight. Maybe next time." Quinn replies completely oblivious to the shorter girl's intentions.

"That's too bad, but I'll definitely hold you to it… Next time." Kitty stands really close to the blonde, whispering the last words in her ears, and then pulling away with a Cheshire cat like smile. She winks at the tall blonde, spins around, and walks away, making sure to sway her hip a little bit more than usual.

Just around the corner, a short brunette is watching the entire exchange and she frowns at what she's witnessing. Rachel is worrying about Quinn because she hasn't seen or heard from her in days. She was absent from their shared classes yesterday. She even checked the blonde's usual hangout spot but didn't see any signs of her.

She also tried calling and texting her but her phone calls are going straight to voicemail and her text messaged are left unanswered. She's not sure if the blonde is rejecting her calls or if her phone is off. She hopes it's the latter, because things were good between them when she left Quinn's house on Saturday.

All her worries dissipate at what she's witnessing, and she's now irritated. Here she is worried sick about the blonde and there she is flirting with that slutty cheerleader.

Well, the cheerleader is flirting and Quinn doesn't seem to be doing much except be polite to which she is relieved about, but still, that cheerio is standing too closely to Quinn, and Quinn is not pushing her away or taking a step back to distance herself from the flirtatious cheerleader. The whole scene is making her feel uneasy.

She wants to go talk to the blonde, but Quinn is already rushing off on the opposite direction, probably to her next class, and she really needs to get to her class as well before she gets a tardy mark. She pushes her thoughts away and notes to talk to the blonde later on.

* * *

Rachel is rushing to glee club. She's running late because Mrs. Smith took too long to explain next week's homework assignment. She doesn't even have time to stop by her locker to drop her books off. When she arrives at glee club, Mr. Schue is already there and starting with his lessons.

She finds the closest seat, which is right beside Finn. She cringes at the thought but goes for it because she doesn't want to further disrupt glee club. She finds Quinn looking at her from the back of the bleachers, her usual seat beside Santana and Brittany, and she gives her a small smile right before she takes a seat.

Glee club is unproductive as usual, and they finish the meeting without making any progress on their set list for Nationals. Mr. Schue keeps assuring them not to worry because they have plenty of time to prepare. He always likes to do things at the very last minute, which Rachel hates, but he's still the teacher and there's only so much she can do.

She's about to go talk to Quinn when Finn blocks her path… again. The football player has a very bad habit of standing in her way, and she's getting quite annoyed by it. She frowns at him, but he doesn't seem to notice it and he starts talking about their duet for the competition and he goes on and on.

Quinn seems to be waiting for her, but Sam is nagging his sister to leave, because he cannot wait to go to the gym. The blonde waits a few more minutes and eventually gives up on waiting for the diva, and leaves with her brother. They will just have to catch up later on.

By the time, Rachel is able to get away from Finn, Quinn's gone. She sighs in defeat and hopes that the blonde will hopefully call or text her tonight. It's been a hectic day and she cannot wait to go home.

* * *

The next day is no better. Rachel is greeted with a sight of Quinn and that slutty cheerio standing too close to each other and sharing a seemingly intimate conversation. Quinn didn't call or text her last night and she's getting really annoyed with this lack of communication. Add to that, the stress of school work and nationals, she's pretty much on the edge.

"Hey Rach."

"Hello, Finn." She rolls her eyes at the sudden appearance of the tall boy. He's definitely not the person she wants to see first thing in the morning, but she stays polite.

"What's up with Quinn? Her and Kitty are being all flirty with each other." Finn points out to the two blondes a few lockers down from them.

"I wouldn't say it like that. Kitty is flirting yes, but not Quinn."

"Right, whatever you say. You know what they say about Quinn right? You've heard of the stories that she's a player."

"Finn, I'd rather not have this discussion with you again." She almost stomps her feet and throw a diva fit, but she holds herself back because she doesn't want to make a scene in the crowded hallway, especially in front of Quinn and that whore… err… cheerleader.

"I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to get hurt or anything. We're still friends you know, and I watch out for my friends."

"Thank you for your concern, Finn, but Quinn and I are just fine."

"Ok. Right. So we should get started on getting a set-list together for nationals. Since we're both like captains of the glee club, we should rally the team together to start practicing." He decides to change topic to something he knows she can't argue with him about.

She immediately feels guilty for abandoning her duties as Glee captain. He is right. Nationals is in a few weeks and they have not even selected any possible songs to sing yet.

Her train of though is interrupted when she sees the blonde cheerleader lean a little too close to Quinn and whisper something in her ear that made Quinn blush and she almost growls.

"Rachel… Rachel…" Finn repeats to bring the brunette's attention back to him. She seems to be spacing out and she sneaks a peak at what the brunette is starting and a slight smirk appears on his face, which he quickly transitions into a look of concern before the diva can see it.

"Earth to Rachel…" He continues and moves to stand in front of her, effectively blocking her view of the two blondes.

Rachel snaps out it. "What were you saying, Finn?"

"So I was saying we should get started on getting a set-list together for nationals. It's time to get serious about this if we want to win. You've been very distracted lately, and it's not good for the team."

"You're right, Finn. I have been distracted lately and I do apologize for that. It is indeed time to put the Glee club first so we can win at Nationals. It's imperative that we spend the next few weeks practicing and rehearsing at every possible hour that we have available."

"Great. So we should start making a plan… like tonight. I'll come over to your place and we can work on it… since we're like co-captains and all. Then we can present what we have to the group tomorrow."

"Tonight..? Umm… Sure, Finn." She's not sure about spending the evening with Finn. She was already planning to stop by Quinn's house to confront the blonde for ignoring her, but Finn is making a good point. So she gives in. She'll just talk to Quinn tomorrow.

"Cool. I'll see you tonight then." He confirms and walks away before she changes her mind. As soon as he turns around, the smirk returns to his face and he wishes he can fist pump because he totally will right now. His plan is falling into place and he cannot be happier.

Quinn is watching the whole exchange between Rachel and Finn as soon as Kitty left her alone. She's glaring at them. She knows that Finn is still trying to get back with Rachel and he doesn't trust him at all.

As soon as Finn walks away from Rachel, she goes up to the diva, grabs her arm, and pulls her to an empty corner where they can have some privacy.

"What's up with you and Finn?" She immediately regrets her condescending and accusing tone, but she cannot help the jealousy that's brewing inside her every time Finn gets too close to Rachel.

Rachel raises an eyebrow at her, and she instantly knows that she asked the wrong question.

"I should be asking you that question with all that blatant flirting with that cheerio." Rachel snaps back. She doesn't like Quinn's tone and how dare she asks her that question when she knows that Finn has no chance with her at all. Not anymore, and this is the first words she says to her after avoiding her for days? She's definitely infuriated.

"I wasn't flirting. We were just talking."

"Rubbing her hand up and down your arms is not flirting? Or whispering in your ears?"

"Are you stalking me now?"

"It's hard to miss that obvious and disgusting display of philandering that we, the student body, are not asking for and do not need to see."

"You're so wrong. Besides, what about you and Finn? Are you running back into his long lumpy arms now?"

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing when you very well know that I'm never getting back together with him ever?"

"Do I know that? You are the one who's accusing me of flirting with Kitty when I surely did not." Quinn rubs her temples with her fingers to push away the beginnings of a major headache. "Look, is this because of my thing? You said you don't have a problem with it." She lowers her voice when she speaks the last part.

"I don't. I was being truthful when I said that." Rachel responds softly this time, picking up on the blonde's insecurity.

"Then why are you angry at me?'

"You never called or text me."

"My phone's dead." Quinn deadpans, internally curses because if she replaced her phone sooner, maybe this argument and misunderstanding could have been avoided.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rachel almost shrieks, almost feeling guilty for overreacting but she still believes she's right. Quinn should have told her about the phone situation.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you." Quinn defends, matching Rachel's volume.

"Well, you disappeared for a few days. I was looking for you."

"I was han… not feeling well." The blonde almost admits to being hangover, but decides against it. She doesn't need a lecture on responsible drinking right now.

"What happened? Are you feeling better now?" The brunette asks, genuinely concerned about the blonde's well-being. Had she known, she would have brought Quinn some medicine and soup to aid in her recovery.

"I'm fine now, Rach. It was just a bug or something."

The bell rings and students start filling up the hallways, heading towards their first classes.

Quinn takes Rachel's book bag to carry it for her. "Walk you to class?" She asks with a cautious smile. She hopes the brunette is no longer mad.

"We share the same class." The shorter girl points out with a grin.

"I know."

They walk to class together, Quinn carrying Rachel's things for her like she always does. The silence is broken when both girls speak at the same time.

"Sorry…"

"I'm sorry…"

They look at each other and share a smile, and Rachel motions for Quinn to go ahead and speak.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my phone or being sick." The blonde blurts out. It's never easy for her to apologize and admit wrong doing. It's the Fabray pride, but she knows she has to do it.

"I also apologize for overreacting."

"Can we hang later after school?"

"I can't tonight, but maybe tomorrow?" Rachel replies guiltily. She regrets making plans with Finn but she cannot back out of it because it is for glee club. At the same time, she also doesn't want to reveal her plans to Quinn, especially after their argument earlier.

"That's cool. Tomorrow then." Quinn accepts without asking any further questions. She's just relieved that they're not fighting anymore.

* * *

At the end of the school day, Rachel goes home with Finn following behind in his truck. They're going to work on the nationals set list and narrowing down the list of songs to sing for their duet.

Rachel and Finn are going over songs in Rachel's bedroom. They've selected a few good ones that they'll bring to the club tomorrow. They just haven't been able to agree on a duet song yet. Finn keeps bring up romantic love songs, which Rachel really doesn't feel like singing with Finn.

Finn is doing his best to put on his best attitude around Rachel. He wants her to believe that he has changed and that's he's grown up. He keeps a smile on his face and does everything he can to focus on the glee tasks they're working on. It's not easy but he needs to do this to get Rachel to see the light.

The brunette is stretching his patience. Everything she does still annoys him. That hasn't change, but despite that, she's kinda hot and she belongs to him, and he's going to do what he can to make her see and everyone else see and understand that. So he bites his tongue, puts on a smile, and lets her ramble.

Rachel was actually expecting the worst but is surprised to see Finn at his best behavior.

Their meeting is actually very productive and he's been giving useful input and contributing to the task at hand. He hasn't even spurted a word of insult or told her to stop being dramatic or stop talking since he arrived. She has high hopes that they can actually be friends and work together to bring Glee to a victory at Nationals this year.

* * *

As soon as school ends, Quinn goes to the mall so she can finally get a new phone. She cannot take another day without talking or texting Rachel. Not having a phone seems to be contributing to the arguments and misunderstanding between them and she wants to fix that right away. Getting a phone is the first step to making things right with the brunette.

She makes a pit stop before heading home. She parks in front of the Berry house, makes her way to the door, and hesitantly knocks. She's still not comfortable around Rachel's father, so she prays that he's not home.

She knocks on the door a few times, a little louder this time when there's no answer. She wonders if the brunette is even home, but she spots her car in the driveway, so she's definitely home. She decides to use the doorbell this time, and rings it a couple of times.

Heavy footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs. She unconsciously fixes her hair, expecting to see Rachel's father. The door swings open, revealing Finn on the other side of the door. She clenches her jaws and fists, and Finn gives her a smug smirk when he sees her standing outside.

"Hi Fabray."

"Hudson." Quinn sneers at the tall boy and the jealousy from this morning comes rearing back in full force. Why didn't Rachel tell her that Finn's at her house? All kinds of unpleasant thoughts are running through her mind.

"How can I help you this fine afternoon?" He taunts her. He can't believe his luck. He didn't even have to come up with a plan for this. Having the blonde show up and finding him alone with Rachel in her house is just perfect.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"None of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, Rachel and I are in the middle of something." He proceeds to close the door but Quinn moves her feet to stop the door from closing.

"I want to see Rachel."

"We're busy. Can't you see? She's moved on."

"Fuck that." Quinn tries to push the door open with her body, but the taller boy is blocking it from being opened further, and the two struggles back and forth with the door, almost unhinging it off the frame.

"What is going on here?" A firm voice echoes behind Finn, and the blonde and football player stops fighting with the door.

Rachel moves into view as she motions for Finn to step away the door. She's surprised to see Quinn there. She didn't expect her to come by, and now she's feeling guilty for not letting the blonde know about her plans with Finn earlier. It seems worst that she found out this way. "Quinn, I wasn't expecting you." She lamely says.

"What the fuck, Rachel?" The blonde bursts out in anger. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"It's not what you think." Rachel defends, immediately realizing that it only makes her sound guilty.

Quinn doesn't want to stick around and see Finn and Rachel get all cozy, so she spins around and walks away as quickly as she can.

Rachel instantly goes after her, "Quinn. Stop. We're just working on a set list for Nationals." She catches the blonde's arm and stops her from going farther.

Quinn turns to face the shorter girl. "Why didn't you tell me you had plans with him?"

"I didn't want you to jump to conclusion, just like what you're doing right now. This is exactly what I want to avoid."

Quinn is ready to spew out a response, hurtful words that she will probably regret later on, so she stops herself from saying anything. She just shakes her head and starts to walk away again.

"Quinn…"

"Look, we'll talk later or something. You go do whatever it is you're doing with Finn." She dismissed the brunette, continues to her jeep, and drives away without looking back.

Finn witnesses the entire thing and the smile on his face just gets wider and wider. He's cheering internally at seeing what just happened. He can pretty much taste his victory. Rachel will finally be his again. He knew that Fabray will screw it up eventually. He quickly puts on the mask of worry and concern on his face as soon as he sees Rachel come back into the house.

"Rachel, I told you she was going to mess up coz she's no good and..." He cannot help himself, and he starts trashing the blonde.

She interrupts him and sternly tells him, "I need you to leave. I just want to be alone right now."

"But..." Finn starts to protest, but the brunette pushes him out of the door.

"Goodbye, Finn."

He huffs as Rachel practically closes the door behind him. It doesn't look like he's won yet, but he's definitely winning, so he shrugs and heads home. His plan is coming along just fine, so there's no need to worry right now.

* * *

The rest of the week goes by slowly with very little interaction between Quinn and Rachel. They do not hang out like they had agreed. Quinn is actively avoiding the brunette at this point. She shows up for Glee but sits in the back, barely saying or contributing anything.

Rachel wants to talk to her but never gets the chance to because she always gets pulled in to something else. Things are getting busy in Glee club with rehearsals and finalizing their set list for Nationals. She eventually gives in to a love song for her duet with Finn. She's a professional and she can get through this and still give an awesome performance.

Friday comes and Puck is having another one of his crazy parties and all the kids in glee club are invited as well.

Quinn arrives early to the party to help Puck set up. She also starts drinking early, and by the time people start arriving, she's already a tiny bit drunk. She immerses herself in the crowd, the loud music, the dancing, and lots and lots of alcohol.

With all the alcohol she's drinking, her bladder gets to a point where it cannot hold any more liquid, and she really needs to pee. She runs to the closest bathroom only to find a long line of people waiting to use it. She scrambles upstairs and uses the hallway bathroom across from Puck's room, which luckily is available.

As soon as she unlocks the door and steps out of the bathroom, Kitty is standing there with a mischievous smile on her face that makes Quinn gulp nervously. Then Kitty drags her inside Pucks room, closing the door behind them, and crashes her lips on the taller blonde's.

The next thing Quinn knows, her shirt is gone, leaving her in her bra, and Kitty is topless in front of her. Then the cheerleader pounces on her and she slams her back onto the wall, and a pair of lips is nipping and sucking around her neck and collar bone.

Kitty huffs at Quinn's lack of action and decides to take matters into her own hands. She takes Quinn's hand and sets it on her own breast. If the taller blonde isn't going to touch her, then she'll make her touch her, but then Quinn's hand doesn't even move. It's just resting on her breast. She's practically offering herself up to the taller blonde, but she's not being taken at all, s

Quinn is stunned at the entire situation, unable to move while her brain is still catching up to what's happening. One thing is for sure, even in her alcohol induced state. A half-naked Kitty isn't doing anything for at all. Her mind keeps going back to certain brunette.

* * *

Rachel begrudgingly shows up to Puck's party when Kurt practically drags her here. She will much rather stay home, but her best friend can be very persuasive or annoyingly persistent.

When they arrive the party is well underway and Puck's house is packed with teenagers from McKinley and a few strangers. They quickly find their fellow gleeks and they mostly stay together around the living room area, away from all the crazier party-goers.

She tries to look for a certain blonde but after a half an hour of not seeing Quinn anywhere, she surmises that the blonde probably decided to skip the party, and she gives up on looking for her.

Finn is annoying her all night, flirting with her, propositioning her, trying to sexy dance with her, invading her personal space, and the more he drinks, the bolder he becomes. He's just not getting the hint.

She's disappointed in him. She was hoping that the tall boy had indeed changed and only wanted friendship from her, but tonight is proof enough that she was wrong about him… again. He obviously hasn't move on and is still trying to get back with her.

She does his best to turn down his advances and tries to avoid him but he seems to always find her. The last straw is when he gropes her butt and she roughly pushes him off and storms away.

She already tried hiding in every possible place she can think of in Puck's house, but none of them are quiet enough or hidden enough from Finn. She considers going home but the night is still young and her father is away on one of his business trips again. She doesn't really want to go home to an empty house just yet.

She hasn't ventured upstairs, so decides to go there and try her luck in one of the rooms. The first couple of rooms are locked, so she tries the third one that has a huge sign that says 'STUD'. She rolls her eyes, realizing that this must be Puck's room.

She tries to listen for any noise inside the room but the loud dance music downstairs is drowning out any possible sounds coming from the room. She takes her chance and slowly swings the door open.

Rachel is frozen in shock at the sight before her, mouth gaping and eyes popping out of her socket, she can't stop a loud gasp from coming out.

Quinn is leaning against the wall, in her bra, with a topless girl in a sinfully short skirt sucking on Quinn's neck, and Quinn's hand is cupping the girl's naked breast.

The only consolation is that both girls' bottom halves are still covered in clothing. This provides a little bit of relief to Rachel. At least they haven't gone all the way, which isn't a sight that Rachel will ever want to witness, but it doesn't stop the heaviness and pain in her chest from coming, and the rage that she tries to hold in, but fails to.

She growls at the two girls, which gets their attention, and two pairs of eyes move to look at her. She instantly recognizes the other girl with Quinn. It's that slutty cheerleader, and she has a slight smirk on her face like she's won, and the diva only gets angrier.

She marches up to the two blondes, yanks the cheerio by the shoulder to pry her off of Quinn, and slaps Quinn hard on her cheek, then she furiously storms out of the room.

Quinn is shocked. First, at seeing Rachel suddenly materialize in front of her, and then she's horrified that the brunette catches her with Kitty like this. Lastly, that hard slap is completely unexpected, but it clears the fog in her mind and she snaps into action.

She grabs her shirt from the floor and quickly puts it on. She doesn't even bother with her shoes. When did she take her shoes off anyway? Without a second glance, she runs after Rachel. She faintly hears the cheerio yelling her name, but she doesn't stop.

She scans the crowded house in search for the brunette and when she doesn't see her anywhere, she goes for the front door. When she gets out of the house and finds Rachel speed-walking down the street on the sidewalk. She sprints after her, calling out her name to get attention and hoping to slow her down.

The brunette turns her head to see who's calling her name, and when she spots Quinn running after her, she speeds up her pace and starts jogging, but it's a little difficult with the heels and short skirt she's wearing. She curses her impractical outfit, but does her best to gain distance from the blonde. She chances a quick glance back and the blonde is gaining ground.

She tries to up her pace but Quinn catches up to her and grabs her arm, slowing her down, but she continues walking dragging the blonde with her as she tries to shake her arm free from the blonde's strong grip.

"Rachel, stop." Quinn pleads with the shorter girl.

"Let go of me, Quinn." She roughly shakes her arm free from the blonde's strong grip.

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"She came on to me."

"It looked to me like you were enjoying groping that slut." Rachel spits out angrily.

"She's a crazy bitch. She just jumped me. I didn't even get a chance to react and then you were there." The blonde tries to explain as best she can, while speed walking beside a furious diva.

"I don't care. Just let me go." The brunette screams so loud, Quinn is worried that the neighbors will call the police on them.

Before Quinn can say anything else, she steps on something sharp and yelps in pain. "Oww. Oww." She hops on one foot, but keeps her hand on the diva to prevent her from running away and tries to keep up with her pace, limping and hoping.

Rachel finally notices Quinn's bare feet. Concern overpowers the need to get away from the blonde, and she stops. She may be angry and hurt, but she still cares about the blonde's well-being.

Seeing the brunette's worried expression, Quinn assures the diva. "I'm fine. I just stepped on something rough."

Since the shorter girl has stopped walking and shows no sign of running away, she lets her arm go and slumps down the sidewalk to closely inspect her injured foot. She's internally cheering that the brunette isn't angry enough to leave her lying in pain on the sidewalk. At least, she still cares enough to check on her and that's a very good sign.

Rachel kneels down beside the blonde. "Quinn, where are your shoes? You know it's unsafe and sanitary to be walking on your bare feet in a public street, especially when there's an onslaught of drunken teenagers who may have left empty beer bottles and cans everywhere in the surrounding perimeter." She lectures the injured blonde.

"I didn't want to waste time looking for my shoes. I needed to get to you."

"And why is your shirt on backwards and inside out?"

"I was in a hurry."

Rachel turns back to the blonde's foot. It doesn't look bad, just a small cut. "We need to disinfect that cut. Who knows what germs are on that object you stepped on?"

"I'll be fine. It's not even that bad. I just need to put a band aid on it and I'll be good as new."

"You cannot be careless with these things. I saw a documentary in the Discovery Health Channel where a seemingly small injury leads to the death of the injured individual because of the parasites that were able to…."

Rachel's rant is interrupted when Quinn connects her lips to the brunette's. She is initially shocked at the unexpected action, and then Rachel instinctively kisses back. Kissing Quinn is always very nice, but then, the events from a few minutes ago comes flooding back, and she snaps out of her kiss-induced state, pulls back, and roughly shoves the blonde's shoulder to push her off.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?" Quinn pouts, rubbing shoulders. It really doesn't hurt, but she hopes to make the brunette feel guilty enough to stay with her.

"You can't just kiss me and make everything go away."

"I'm sorry… For what it's worth, she didn't even turn me on. All I was thinking about was you…. But not like, I was thinking of you naked or objectifying you or anything… Uuhh… coz I don't do that. I totally respect you. Completely…." Quinn is doing her best to explain but she can't seem to find the right words to say what she means, and she ends up rambling.

"Quinn…" Rachel starts. She knows that she already forgives the blonde, and she looks so adorable rambling right now. She can't stay angry at her, especially when she's being cute. She also knows that Quinn's explanation makes sense and she actually believes her.

"I know I've done a lot of dumb things, and I'm sorry for that and for hurting you. I just really want to be with you. I don't know what you did but I'm like hooked. Like did you put some voodoo on me or something coz I can't stop thinking about you."

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" The brunette challenges, raising an eyebrow.

"No… maybe… did you put anything in my drink or food?"

Rachel huffs and gets up on her feet to walk away from the blonde. Even though she's already forgiven the blonde, she's still not going to let her off that quickly.

Quinn grabs her arm to stop her from going anywhere. She hops up on one foot, the uninjured one, to get on her feet and face the brunette, but her balance is shot because of the alcohol that's still in her system, and she loses balance and starts to fall back.

Rachel quickly grabs her arms to keep her from falling. The brunette is deceptively strong and Quinn murmurs a thanks. That fall will have hurt a lot and she's just glad the brunette saved her.

"You're my hero, Rach." Quinn tells her with a dopey smile.

Rachel rolls her eyes at the blonde. As soon as she's sure the blonde can stand on her own feet, she turns around to start walking again.

"Rachel, please. Can we just like talk? Can we start over? I'm sorry. Just tell me what I can do to make this better. I know I'm different and I can't do anything about it…"

"Quinn, I already told you. I don't have a problem with your condition. Please believe me on that." Rachel tells her with conviction because Quinn needs to know that her condition will and should never be an issue between them. She sighs and continues, "I'm sorry too." She cups the blonde's cheek that's still red with her hand print and she feels guiltier. "I'm sorry for slapping you."

"I deserve it."

"No, you don't. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's ok. I know I can be a jerk sometimes." Quinn grins and wraps her arms around the shorter girl's waist.

"Only sometimes?" Rachel teases, and Quinn pouts at hearing her words.

This makes the brunette smile, and she kisses the blonde's cheek softly.

"Rach, are we good?"

"Yes, Quinn, but I think we still need to talk though. This week has been… difficult…"

"Yea, this week was crazy as fuck."

"Language, Quinn."

"Sorry." The blonde apologizes sheepishly.

"But we'll talk when you're sober."

"Ok. Uumm… so can I drive you home? Were you going to walk home? It's not safe to walk home alone at night…"

"You're drunk, Quinn. You can't drive."

"You can drive my car." Quinn happily suggests with a wide smile on her face. She fishes for something in her jeans pocket and pulls out her car key. She gives it to Rachel without second thought.

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure. Unless you want to go back inside Puck's house?"

"No thank you. I think I've had enough of Puck's parties right now."

"Me too."

Rachel helps Quinn to the jeep and into the passenger side, making sure to snap her seatbelt in for her.

She takes the wheel and drives home. She's not sure if she should drive to Quinn's house but she figures her house is closer and her father isn't home. Quinn may want to sleep off the alcohol before going home. She knows that Grammy can get really scary and she doesn't want to find out how the older Fabray will react to a drunken Quinn.

They get to the Berry home in no time. Quinn sleeps through the 10 minute ride and jerks awake when Rachel parks the car in the driveway. The blonde looks around her surrounding, still half-asleep and confuse at where she is.

"We're at my house."

"You're father's not home, is he?"

"He's out of town on a business trip."

"Oh ok." Quinn visibly relaxes. She's still scared of Rachel's father and she's really not in a state to face him tonight.

"Shall we go in then?"

"Wait, stay where you are." Quinn quickly says, and she unfastens her seatbelt, jumps out of the jeep, and jogs around to the driver side.

Rachel looks at the blonde, confused as to what she's planning to do, but as soon as Quinn opens the door for her and offers a hand to help her out, she smiles widely and her heart melts at the sweet gesture. No one's ever this considerate to her before. Even in her alcohol induced state, she's chivalrous.

As soon she gets out of the car, she grabs the blonde's shirt and pulls her down for a kiss. The kiss is short but sweet, and when they pull back, Quinn looks at her questioningly.

"What was that for?"

Rachel just shrugs and smiles, and starts walking towards her front door without a verbal response to the blonde's question.

Quinn catches up with a bright smile on her face. Things are definitely better and she can't be any happier. All is well in the world once again.

* * *

In the diva's bedroom, Rachel rummages through her cabinet and pulls out a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and hands them to Quinn.

"These should fit you well. There's a pack of brand new toothbrushes under my sink. Just grab one and use whatever you need. You can use the bathroom first."

"Thanks." Quinn takes the offered clothes and disappears into the en suite bathroom.

Quinn preps for bed, brushing her teeth and changing into the sleepwear that Rachel provided. They fit perfectly and nothing's exposed, so she doesn't have to worry about displaying anything embarrassing.

Rachel goes in after she's done and goes through her nightly bedtime ritual.

Quinn settles down on the floor. She's not sure where she's supposed to sleep, so she uses her own clothes as a pillow for her head, and makes herself comfortable enough on the floor. She's halfway to dreamland, when Rachel wakes her up.

"Quinn, what are you doing on the floor?"

"Uuhh…. Sleeping?"

"Why are you on the floor?"

"I don't want to assume…"

"Don't be silly. My bed is large enough for the both of us."

Quinn hesitates but gets on the other side of the bed across from the brunette. She tries to sleep as close to the edge as possible so as not to intrude on the brunette's personal space.

"Why are you sleeping so far away? You're going to fall off the bed."

"I don't want to encroach on your personal space and make you uncomfortable."

Rachel rolls her eyes at the suddenly shy blonde, and moves closer to the blonde. She rests her head on the blonde's shoulder and slings an arm across the taller girl's torso.

Quinn stiffens a little bit at the unexpected closeness, but as soon as Rachel sighs in contentment, she relaxes and wraps her arms around the smaller girl. This feels like heaven to her, and she wishes she can just stay like this with the brunette forever.

"Rach, will you be my girlfriend?" The words come out of Quinn's mouth before she can stop it and it's too late to take it back. It seems that being slightly drunk is making her braver. She holds her breath, expecting a negative answer.

Rachel doesn't reply for about a minute, but to Quinn it feels like hours.

"Yes." The diva answers simply. There's no doubt in her mind that this is what she wants, so why delay the inevitable. She likes Quinn and Quinn likes her. There's no need for additional drama.

"What?" The blonde asks, not sure if she heard the brunette right.

"I said, yes." Rachel repeats.

"What?" Quinn asks again, still unbelieving. She wonders if she's already asleep and dreaming at this point.

"Quinn…"

"You're ok with being my girlfriend and me your girlfriend." The blonde states, making sure she completely understands, leaving no room for any miscommunication and misinterpretations.

"Yes, I'm more than ok."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure." Rachel confirms.

"Positive?"

"Positive."

"Don't you need time to think about this?"

"Maybe I should take it back then, if you don't like my response…" The brunette teases.

"Nooo… I'm good with the first response." Quinn tightens her arms around the smaller girl, as if she's going to move away from her. She's sporting a really wide smile, which cannot help, but is thankful the darkness is masking her face, because she probably looks really stupid right now.

"Will you even remember this conversation in the morning?" Rachel wonders, remembering that the blonde is still slightly intoxicated.

"Maybe."

"We shall see."

"Goodnight, Rach."

"Goodnight, Quinn."

Silence takes over as Rachel slowly drifts to sleep.

"So you really said yes to being my girlfriend?"

"Go to sleep, Quinn."

"Ok." Quinn kisses the top of the brunette's head and goes to sleep with sweet and happy dreams about the smaller girl in her arms.

* * *

_A/N: GLAAD was a blast by the way. If you can, I recommend attending it next year. :) Photos are on my tumblr page if you're interested. Please review and thank you so much for reading. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

**_Author's Notes:_**

_I'm going to be out of town again for a couple of weeks and will most likely not be able to write while I'm away, so I wanted to give you all an update before I leave for my trip tomorrow. This is rushed and unedited, so please forgive me for my mistakes._

_I know everyone's waiting for a Finn beating, and it's definitely coming soon, just not this chapter. Sorry._

_Also in response to the review about sexual assault and all that, thank you for pointing it out. It didn't occur to me when I was writing the previous chapter. When I wrote that scene, I was imagining things happening really fast and Quinn didn't really say no yet (verbally) and was still processing. Things didn't go out of hand, but I really appreciate it when you all point out things that I completely miss. I'll definitely be more mindful about it next time. Please continue with the reviews and messages because I do read them and think through them._

_Thank you for reading. :)_

**_Disclaimer:_**

_I'm not claiming to own anything. Just borrowing for creative purposes._

* * *

**[ Chapter 14 ]**

Quinn stirs from a restful sleep and rolls on her back. She groans as the bright sunlight hits her face. She rolls back to her side and nuzzles her face on the soft and comfortable pillow that smells different from what she's used to. She slowly opens an eye and almost panics when she doesn't recognize her surroundings.

She pops both eyes open, sits up, and looks around the room, trying to remember where she is. She finds posters of Broadway shows on the walls and the events from last night slowly come back to her.

She turns her head to the side to find the bed empty. She turns to the other side to find the clock on the bedside table displaying 11:00 in bright and bold digits. Rachel was probably up since six this morning. She knows the brunette is an early riser, and she's grateful that she wasn't woken up and was allowed to sleep in.

She also finds a glass of water and headache pills on the table. She silently thanks the brunette and takes the pills, chugging the full glass of water. She has slight headache, nothing major, but it's best to just take the medicine right now. She gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom to freshen up.

After she's done, she heads downstairs and the smell of bacon invades her senses and her smile widen at the scent of her favorite food. She skips down and finds the brunette setting strips of cooked bacon into a plate with eggs and other breakfast goodness. The diva is humming some song she doesn't recognize, probably a show tune from a musical.

Rachel hasn't notice her since she has her back to her, so Quinn quietly tip toes behind the brunette and when she gets close enough, she wraps her arms around the smaller girls waist and rests her chin on her shoulder.

"Quinn. You're awake." The brunette greets, a little startled, but instantly relaxes and sinks back in the blonde's arms.

"How's my girlfriend doing in this fine morning?"

The brunette turns around in the blonde's arms so they're face to face and wraps her arms around the taller girl's neck. "You remembered."

"Of course. I would forever remember the happiest day of my life."

"Happiest day? Really?" Rachel questions with a raised brow and a smirk.

"Yup. Can I get a good morning kiss from my wonderful, amazing, beautiful girlfriend?" Quinn nods and happily grins at her girlfriend. She really likes the sound of that… girlfriend.

"Don't forget extremely talented…" The diva adds.

"Of course, how could I forget…. Extremely talented with an unmatched voice and artistry, by far the greatest and best of this century…"

"Don't get carried away now…" The brunette rolls her eyes at the blonde.

"I personally think you're awesome."

"Such a charmer." Rachel pulls the blonde down for a kiss.

They kiss softly and tenderly, taking their time exploring each other's mouths. It's sweet and intimate, until Quinn's stomach starts grumbling loudly, breaking their moment. The brunette smiles into the kiss and slowly pulls back, looking amusedly at her girlfriend.

The taller girl lets out an apologetic chuckle. "Sorry. Kinda hungy."

"Well, take the plates and food to the table, and get the silverware from the drawer over there."

Quinn kisses the brunette one more time, a quick peck before letting her go, and starts setting the table, while the brunette prepares a couple of cups of coffee. Halfway through their preparations, the doorbell rings.

"Are you expecting anyone?" The blonde wonders.

"Not that I can recall. Can you answer the door for me please?" The brunette responds, keeping her focus on the brewing coffee and grabbing a couple of mugs from the cupboard.

Quinn nods and makes her way to the front door. Without bothering to check the peep hole, she swings the door open, revealing a surprised Finn. He definitely isn't expecting to see her here, and he scowls at the blonde who's answer his girl's front door.

The blonde smirks at seeing the surprised and unhappy quarterback on the other side of the door. It sure feels better to be standing in her position right now, and she just wants to rub it in his face, but she decides to play it cool.

"Why hello, Finn. What brings you here?"

"What are you doing here?" He narrows his eyes at her, voice dripping with venom.

"I must ask you the same question." She answers a little too cheerfully, mocking the tall boy.

"What did you do to Rachel?"

"What makes you think I did anything to her?" She crosses her arms in defiance to his accusatory tone.

"Rachel?" He ignores the blonde and decides to call out to the brunette.

Rachel shows up behind Quinn, wiping her hands with a dish towel. "Finn? What are you doing here?" She asks him, surprised to see him this early. She's really not in the mood to see him at all; especially after the stunt he pulled last night, but tries to remain civil and polite.

"What is she doing here, Rachel?"

"Quinn is welcome here anytime, Finn. It doesn't matter to you what she's doing here. What is the purpose of your visit?"

"You disappeared last night, so I got worried and wanted to check on you to make sure you're ok."

Quinn snorts at his fake concern for her girlfriend. She's almost positive that she caught a glimpse of him making out with another girl at Puck's party while she was looking for and chasing after Rachel. His tongue down another girl's throat is a sure sign of concern, and she cannot help the snort that easily comes out at hearing his insincere words.

Finn glares at her. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"You are my problem, asshole."

"Finn, I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern, but I would now prefer you leave."

"No, we need to talk. It's supposed to be you and me. What did she do to you?" He starts to protest, towering dangerously close to the brunette.

Quinn instinctively moves in front of Rachel and she starts shoving Finn back and away from her girlfriend.

"Don't fucking touch me." He tries to swat her hands off of him.

"Finn, I need you to leave now." Rachel demands, raising her voice at him, and she pushes him hard and he moves enough to be right outside the door, and she slams the door in his face.

He's stunned at the now closed and looked front door, and he starts pounding the door with his fists. "You're making a big mistake. You'll come crawling back to me, you'll see."

Rachel cringes at his yelling, and Quinn clenches her hands in anger. She just wants to step out of the house and punch the douchebag's face to pulp.

"Quinn, it's ok. Please." Rachel pleads with her, recognizing the fire burning on the blonde's eyes. She knows that her girlfriend's furious, and the clenched fists is a definitely sign of that, but she doesn't want Quinn to get hurt and get into trouble. Right now, she just wants Finn to leave, so she can spend the rest of the weekend with her girlfriend.

When the banging and yelling stops and hears heavy footsteps moving away from the door, she sighs in relief. Finn finally leaves, and they he can just let them be for now. They'll deal with him later on. Right now, she just wants to focus on them and this new relationship they're embarking on.

She moves closer to the blonde and pulls her in for a full body hug, resting her head on the taller girl's chest and hoping to calm her down.

Quinn relaxes in the brunette's embrace and she eventually hugs her back, pulling her closer if at all possible. She buries her face in the brunette's hair, inhaling her scent. She sighs and murmurs. "I really hate that guy."

"I know. Me too." Rachel admits, which makes the blonde chuckle a little bit.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"What did you ever see in him?" Quinn wonders because from what she's seeing, Finn has nothing going for him at all. He's uncoordinated, dumb, mean, manipulative, selfish, and she can go on and on all day.

"I wonder about that myself."

They pull back and look at each other lovingly, all traces of anger is gone from Quinn's eyes and is replaced with a soft, adoring look that she only imparts on Rachel, but seeing Finn only brings back memories from last night, and Quinn feels guilty again.

"Rach, I'm sorry about last night with Kitty…"

"I've already forgiven you." Rachel stops her, and she playfully adds, "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook yet."

"Ok. I'll do whatever you want me to do." Quinn promises without hesitating.

"I like the sound of that. The great and mighty Quinn Fabray will do anything I want her to do."

"Well, when you put it that way, I rescind my statement…" The blonde teases.

"You can't take it back. It's too late."

"So you really think I'm great and mighty?"

"Hush you and your oversized ego." She shakes her head at the blonde. "Let's go eat. The food that I labored and sweated for is getting cold."

"Let's, because God forbid that all your hard work must go to waste."

"Don't mock me or I'll never cook bacon or steak for you ever again." She spins around to do a diva storm out, but Quinn grabs her by the waist and pulls her back, hugging her close from the back and she melts into the taller girl's arms.

"I'm sorry. Thank you, Rach. You're the best." Quinn showers the brunette's neck and cheek with kisses in between her words, making Rachel giggle.

They finally move to the kitchen and start digging in. Quinn is extremely grateful that the brunette is willing to cook her favorite foods for her despite her veganism. She cannot stop thanking the brunette and complimenting her cooking all morning.

They are cleaning up in the kitchen, when Rachel notices something on Quinn's neck which makes her frown.

"What?" The blonde asks, wondering if there's dirt of leftover food on her face.

"We need to cover that up. I don't want to see it."

"Cover what?"

"That thing… that hickey." The brunette unhappily points at something on Quinn's neck.

"Oh… ok. Let's cover it up if you want." The skateboard says realizing what her girlfriend is referring too. She knew that cheerio was going to leave a mark and she internally curses her for it.

Quinn soon finds herself in Rachel's room, sitting on her desk chair, while the brunette hovers beside her with a make-up bottle. Her girlfriend is slowly applying the cover-up on her neck where Kitty had sucked a little too eagerly leaving an unpleasant mark. Delicate fingers, slowly moving around her neck is making her squirm.

"Quinn, stop moving." Rachel sternly commands, while attempting to apply the make-up.

"It's ticklish."

Rachel glares at her.

"Sorry, I'll try to sit still."

"I may have agreed to be your girlfriend and cooked you breakfast, but I still expect you to grovel and make this up to me."

"Yes, ma'am. Grovel I will, and I'll make it up to you." Quinn promises sincerely. She'll do anything to make the brunette happy, and she really is regretting the situation with Kitty last night. She may have reacted quicker and pushed the girl away if she had been sober or less intoxicated. She considers abstaining from alcohol – but maybe just a drink or two instead of binging.

"Maybe you should consider drinking a little less alcohol or maybe even stop drinking every once in a while…"

Quinn's eyes widen at what her girlfriend just said. She wonders if the brunette can read her mind.

"You're wondering if I can read your mind…"

The blonde's jaw drops. _'Fuck, she is a mind reader. Wait, let me check. What am I thinking right now? Uumm… think of something.'_ Her thoughts are convoluted and she's close to panicking at the possibility.

"And you want me to tell you what you're thinking right now?"

Quinn actually gulps. It can't be. She's screwed. Her thoughts will no longer be sacred and will need to filter herself from now on. Her life as she knows it is over.

"Baby, you look like you just saw a ghost. Are you ok?"

"I think so."

"You know I can't really read your mind right? You're just so predictable. So adorable and silly." Rachel gives her a peck on the cheek and quickly finishes up the make-up application so that the hickey is no longer visible. "There. You're all set."

"Wait… you called me baby."

"You don't want me to."

"I like it." Quinn says with a goofy smile on her face, replaying the brunette's term of endearment in her mind. She doesn't notice that Rachel walking out of the room as she's still lost in her dreamy state.

"Are you going to sit there all day?" Rachel calls out to her from outside the room.

Quinn shakes her head no and springs up to her feet, catching up to her girlfriend.

"Let's go to the mall. I need to pick up a few things, and you're taking me to a movie. I get to pick the movie."

"Yes, of course. Anything you want, Rach." Quinn gives in like the whipped girlfriend that she knows she is and it doesn't bother her at all. She's completely fine with it.

* * *

Quinn picks Rachel up from her house on Monday morning on the way to school. She figures it's her duty as the brunette's girlfriend to drive her to and from school. In all honesty, she just wants to start her days seeing her girlfriend as early and as soon as possible.

She parks the car, jumps out, and starts walking towards the Berry's door, when Rachel comes out and practically skips down the front walkway. She meets her halfway and the smaller girl jumps in her arms for a hug.

"Hi." Quinn greets with a wide grin when they finally pull apart. She can definitely get used to that kind of greeting from the brunette every time they see each other.

Rachel gets on her tip toes and gives the blonde a chaste but sweet kiss, which makes the blonde's heart swell with happiness, and she beams even brighter.

"Hey." Rachel finally greets back with her own smile, and they just stand there, arms around each other, wordlessly staring at each other with matching wide smiles.

Their moment is broken with a couple of loud honks coming from Quinn's jeep.

"Stop eye fucking, bitches. We don't have all day." Santana yells at the couple as she leans back in the backseat of the jeep, and they see Brittany slap the Latina's arm scolding her with a stern face, and Sam is immersed in his phone, texting away, beside Brittany.

Quinn rolls her eyes at the Latina. She regrets being the designated driver to school, and she starts dreading the fact that the Latina is practically living with them. That means that she has to deal with her snarky remarks whenever she and Rachel are together, which she hopes will be a lot more often.

The short ride to school is no better for the new couple. Santana continues to annoy them with her unwanted comments. When Quinn reaches to hold Rachel's hand, keeping her other hand on the steering wheel, the Latina has to complain.

"Will you stop being so sickening? You practically spent the entire weekend attached at the hips. Aren't you sick of each other yet?"

"San, be nice." Brittany scolds her girlfriend. Sometimes she can get too carried away and not know when to stop. She knows that her girlfriend is really happy for Quinn and Rachel, but just doesn't want to admit it. She adds a stern look to let her know she's serious and it shuts her girlfriend up right away. She turns to her cousin and friend, and tells them with a wide smile. "I think you two are cute together."

They do look cute together, and her cousin is never been happier, so anything or anyone that makes Quinn happy is in her approved list. She's known Rachel for a while and she knows that she's really nice when she needs to be, so she's just happy for the two of them.

"Thank you, Brittany. We appreciate your support of our relationship. We definitely need all the people we can get on our side. I am anticipating a lot of backlash in school and in this small town in general. People can be close minded around here, but I do have high hopes that things our relationship will not be met with hostility. I mean, look at you two, you're both doing just fine."

"It's coz no one messes with me or my Britts, or I'll go all Lima height on them."

"I don't understand why people are so scared of San. She's such super nice and sweet and cuddly."

Quinn snickers at Brittany's description of the Latina, which completely breaks her bad-ass gangsta image to pieces.

Rachel on the other hand just looks at Brittany disbelievingly. She doesn't know how anyone could ever use those adjectives on the Latina. Nice? Sweet? Cuddly? Santana's far from those, but the blonde cheerio always has a way of breaking down the Latina's hard exterior, so she supposes it's possible.

Santana scowls at the blonde skateboarder's snickering and glares at the diva, making her look away, but one hug and kiss to her cheek from her girlfriend forces a smile on her face, which she tries to hide.

"Watch the fucking road, Fabgay." She snaps at Quinn when she catches her sneaking a glance from the rearview mirrors.

* * *

Quinn is leaning beside Rachel's locker as the brunette shuffles through her locker, taking what she needs and leaving what she doesn't. The blonde is just waiting for her girlfriend, so they can walk to class together.

Kitty walks towards the couple with a smirk on we face and as soon as Rachel sees her, she growls lowly and scowls. Quinn isn't happy to see the cheerio either but she's more nervous at how this confrontation will end up.

"Draw your claws back, Berry. I'm here to apologize."

Rachel and Quinn look at her in disbelief.

"I'm sorry for jumping your girl. You can't blame me for going for what I want, but don't you worry, I've moved on. Quinn's all yours." She turns to the blonde and continues. "Sorry about the party. No one runs out on me, so you're either blind or have really bad taste. Whatever. If you wanna downgrade, then good luck."

The two glee girls just stare at her, mouths agape. They're both not sure if they should be relieved or offended by Kitty's words. What does she mean by downgrade? Rachel's surely better than a lot of girls in this school. And bad taste or blind? Definitely not.

"I hate to admit it but you two kinda look alright together, so whatever. We good?" The cheerio shrugs, like it's no big deal. She's really happy for the two girls in front of her, but she will never openly and enthusiastically admit that. Sure it seems like she lost to the brunette loser, but not really. If she really wants to win, she will win. This is one of those rare cases where she's actually letting the diva win out of the goodness of her heart.

"Uuhh... Rach?" Quinn wants to respond but instead, she turns to her girlfriend to see what she thinks. She figures it's the safest answer.

"Umm… ok." Rachel answers hesitantly. She's still confused at what's happening. First the cheerleader apologizes, and then insults them, and then she's complimenting them. She wonders if the girl's bipolar.

"Great. Now that we've cleared that up, this doesn't mean we're friends or anything, so we can now go back to ignoring each other." She finishes and struts away with her head held high and her hands on her waist, like she owns the entire school.

The two gleeks watch her go, mouths agape, and Quinn finally speaks up, turning to her girlfriend. "I don't know what just happened, but I think that was a good thing, right?"

"I believe so, Quinn."

A locker slams close a little too loudly a few doors down from them, and they look up to see Finn stomping away and disappearing around the hallway.

"Now, we just have to deal with that oaf." Quinn comment with a frown.

Rachel tugs the blonde's arm, pulling her attention back to her. "Let's not worry about him for now. Why don't you walk me to class? As my girlfriend, it is your duty to carry my books for me and walk me to class."

"Don't I already do that before we get together?" The blonde takes the brunette's books and they start walking to their shared class.

"Yes, but now you're obligated to do it."

"Why do I have to carry your stuff and walk you to class? Why don't you do that for me?" Quinn questions, even though it really doesn't matter to her. She wants to do this for Rachel and has no problem with doing it every single day. She just wants to see how the brunette will react.

"I can if you want me to." Rachel quietly adds. She has never considered this before, because she's only dated guys, and they always do that for her. Well, after she whined and demanded they do it for her. Quinn is really the first to actively do these sweet and chivalrous things for her without her prompting.

"How about we alternate? I take Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and you can take Tuesday and Thursdays." The blonde suggests. It sounds like a plausible solution to her.

"It's not even."

"I like walking you to class and carrying your stuff for you."

"Who's to say that I don't like doing those things for you?"

"You haven't done those for me before." The blonde points out with a smile. She understands that the brunette hasn't dated a girl before so things may be a little different from when she was dating her ex-boyfriends, but she likes hearing the brunette willingly want to do something that she's not used to.

"Well, I already like the idea of it. And given the chance, I have no doubt that I would enjoy doing it."

"Can we just agree with my plan? Just for this time. Please?"

"Fine." The brunette huffs, but the corners of her mouth curves upward in amusement and her smile widen when the blonde fist pumps the air for winning this round of argument.

* * *

At glee club, everyone is busy preparing for the competition. They only have about a week left before they head out to New York for the National show choir competition. Everyone else is learning the choreography with Brittany and Mike's instructions.

Most of them have the steps down, and they just need to smooth it out, except for Finn who seems to have two left feet. He bumps into random people, completely missing his cues, a few times.

A group of them are already unhappy with not getting any solos and having the big lump of oaf knocking into them mid routine only fuels their annoyance. Mr. Schue decides to end practice earlier than usual to prevent anyone from killing the uncoordinated football player.

Quinn is relieved that Glee is almost done. She just wants to go home and cuddle with her girlfriend. It's been a long and exhausting day. School's getting intense with finals looming over them and glee club is stretching her patience. Not because of the rehearsals and not even because of Finn's clumsiness.

What annoys her the most is seeing her girlfriend and Finn sing their love song duet, and acting like they're in-love with each other during their performance.

She knows Rachel is merely acting and she's a god damn great actress, and it's not doing Quinn any good right now. She's burning with jealousy every time the co-captains stand too close to each other or when they touch or when they stare at each other while singing about love.

She's not worried about Rachel because she trusts her girlfriend. It's Finn that she doesn't trust. She knows he still have feelings for Rachel and she's going to make sure to keep a close eye on him when he's around the brunette.

To add to that Rachel and Finn has to stays extra longer after glee to continue with practicing. As her girlfriend argues, she requires perfection in everything that she does, especially her performance and she's not adequately satisfied with the quality of her and Finn's duet yet.

Quinn cannot argue with that, and the late practices become an everyday thing, so she patiently waits for the brunette, working on her homework or studying for her exams or skateboarding in the parking lot or going to the gym with Sam or playing catch with the gang, anything to kill time while she waits for Rachel.

The worst thing is seeing Finn discreetly give her smirk whenever he's close to Rachel and signing with her. She has to remind herself that it's all part of the act – at least for Rachel – to calm herself down and stop herself from pounding the boy's head on the pavement.

She even starts learning some meditation chant from teen Jesus, whatever his name is, that's supposed to give her serenity, patient, and peace. It's all gibberish to her but she's willing to learn it if it helps with her temper.

* * *

Quinn is walking to the lunchroom with Sam and Brittany when she overhears Finn's angry voice from around the corner.

"We had an agreement. You were supposed to seduce Fabray. You didn't do what you were supposed to do." Finn tries to contain the volume but his raised voice is still loud and clear to the three blonde's.

"No one tells me what to do, especially not you. I can do whatever I want, and I'm done with this and with you. So move out of my way and fuck off my life, blubber." Kitty answers, very annoyed at the dumb jock who thinks they can control her. No one controls Kitty Wilde… ever. She has half a mind to kick the quarterback in the nut and put him in his place, but decides against it. He's not worth any more of her time or effort.

Hearing all this, Quinn clenches her fists and is about to make her presence known to the tall boy, but a strong hand on her shoulder stops her. She cranes her neck to see who's keeping her from repaying Finn what he deserves. She's about to yell at them, but seeing that it's Brittany, she shuts her mouth, knowing that she can never yell or be angry at her sweet cousin.

"Q, you can't. National's is in a few days. Rachel will not be happy if Finn cannot perform or sing." Brittany reasons. She knows that Quinn has every right to be angry and beat up Finn and that Finn deserves to face consequences, but she also knows that now is not the best time to do all that.

"Britt's right, sis. We don't want to miss out on winning National's coz you sent Hudson to the hospital."

Quinn tries to argue that she's not going to beat him up that bad, but before she can irk a word, Sam continues. "And I know that you can and will send him to the hospital."

"Come on, Quinnie. We'll deal with him later. I'm hungry and Rachie's waiting for you." The dancer wraps her hands around her cousin's arm and tugs her towards the lunchroom.

Quinn sigh, giving in, and allows Brittany to lead her to the lunchroom. She wonders when she became so whipped by the women in her life. There must be something in the waters of Lima.

* * *

Learning about Finn's plan with Kitty messes Quinn's mood the rest of the day, and she's extra quiet and distant, which Rachel notices right away. They are walking across the sparse parking lot towards the blonde's jeep.

Rachel decides to give her voice a break this afternoon and doesn't stay extra late to practice with Finn. That fact along should make her girlfriend happy, but Quinn doesn't say anything, All she receives is a forced smile and a quick peck on the cheek.

"Let's go to music store."

"Sure." Quinn shrugs indifferently.

Rachel furrows her brows, wondering what is bothering her girlfriend who is normally chirpy at the end of the school day. She finally gives up trying to read her girlfriend's mind, stops walking, and turns to face her.

"Baby, what's going on?" The brunette cups the blonde's face with her hand, lifting her face so the blonde is making eye contact with her instead of the ground.

"Nothing." Quinn mumbles her response, trying to look away from the brunette's intense gaze.

"I know there's something. You can tell me."

Quinn lets out a breath and confesses the reason behind her bad mood to her girlfriend. The brunette isn't happy with the news about Finn's scheme and her resolve to break off all ties with the tall boy strengthens. If not for their duet and glee club, she can do without having to interact with the footballer. They just need to get through National's and maybe she'll give him a piece of her mind after that.

Rachel gets on her tip toes and softly presses her lips to the taller girl. The kiss is chaste and sweet, and it's exactly what Quinn needs to take her mind off of a certain jerk.

The brunette pulls back and lovingly stares at the blonde. "Hi." She greets with a smile.

"Hey." Quinn beams at the brunette who knows exactly what to do to bring her back to the present and to what is important. With that simple kiss and smile, it seems that everything in her world is right again.

They both go the music store, then get dinner, and after that, they decide take a stroll around the park since it's a nice warm evening, and none of them wants to go home yet. Going home means back to doing homework and cramming for exams, and etc. The impromptu date is a nice break from all the busyness of school and Glee club.

They sit on a bench facing the lake and enjoying the view and nice weather.

Quinn gazes at Rachel and the sight of the diva sitting beside her makes her breath hitch. She still cannot get over the fact that Rachel can leave her speechless and breathless. She's not sure if she'll ever get used to it, and she hopes she doesn't, because if she can watch the brunette all her life, her life will be complete. She's sure of it.

Before realizes it, the words flow out of her mouth, unable to stop it even if she wants to. "I love you."

Rachel turns to look Quinn in the eyes, not expecting the confession, and judging from the blonde's surprised expression, Quinn wasn't expecting to say those words tonight either. A small smile forms on her face. "Tell me again."

Quinn swallows the lump on her throat, but the words flow out naturally, even though it comes out as ramble, but it's all honest and sincere. "Rachel, I think love you… I know, I love you. I don't know when or how, but I just know…. You know what I mean..."

The smile on Rachel's face widens and she's now beaming at the adorably shy blonde. "I love you too, Quinn Fabray." She leans closer to the blonde and the blonde meets her halfway, crashing their lips together.

Rachel instinctively wraps her arms around Quinn's neck and Quinn wraps hers around the shorter girl's waist, pulling her closer. The kiss starts slow and sensual, and it starts to heat up as tongues duel with each other. They pull back when the need for air becomes unbearable, and they stare at each other with swollen kissed lips.

"I think it's time for you to take me home, Quinn Fabray."

"As you wish."

They skip to the jeep hand in hand, giggling like school girls newly in love and everything else in the world doesn't matter as long as they have each other.

* * *

A/N: Please review. Thanks for reading. :)


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